Moonlight Sonata
by Lady Fireflower
Summary: Ana is from a future where Harry Potter died within the Department of Mysteries aged fifteen. Her world is under the rule of Voldemort completely. Now what remains of the Order have come to believe their only hope lies not in the future but in the past...
1. Sonata

**Prologue; Moonlight Sonata**

_Drip_

The walls were damp, as was the floor, as was everything within the dank confines of the prison cell. Ana pressed her back further against the cold stone in her chosen corner; her mind wandering far away from the Dementors prowling outside her cell or the other gradually maddening, decaying souls in the cells surrounding her.

She wondered how many people could be held in Azkaban. A thousand? It was probably more than that; more than a thousand and she had once been told by a particularly vile guardsman that there were ten Dementors to each prisoner. Whether the man's words were true or not she had found sleeping, since that terrible idea of thousands of Dementors had burrowed into her mind, difficult…all but impossible.

_Drip_

Ana was waiting; waiting for her visit. Once every day, without fail, the proud tap tapping of expensive shoes on worn stone sounded for ten seconds before the owner of the shoes came into view. He would then enter the cell, take a moment to ask her things, she would refuse to answer his questions, he would hurt her…the cycle would continue.

She pulled her legs up to her chest and began to hum. The familiar melody of Moonlight Sonata; appropriate as the moonlight itself chose to filter through her barred window at that moment, filled hear ears as her voice shakily brought it into being. It reminded her of lost times; of times she could almost forget ever existed in a place like Azkaban.

_Drip_

A sweeping coldness struck her as a Dementor swept past her cell door. One of the reasons she kept so far back in her cell was to avoid the effects of a Dementor's presence; coldness, hopelessness…she continued to hum to herself – pushing all thoughts of Dementors away.

Her mind instead retreated to home; not the home in which she was born but the home in which she had made her life; Grimmauld Place. She thought of the dreary décor and musty smells, the smoking fires and endless kitchen table around which they had shared so many conversations - the Order, her friends, her almost family…Sirius Black.

Her head rose slightly as the sound of those shoes; the expensive Italian leather made by the most advanced magical practises known to wizard-kind, and half smiled at the thought of them being ruined by the damp. She had, at one time, been afraid of the visit. However now she cared little. It was commonplace. It was expected.

The guard was sneering at her, with an almost lustful look in his eyes; the prison shifts were thin, she was twenty three, she was female; it did not surprise her. Her bare feet were curled one on top of the other; her legs crossing to defend some form of the dignity which was left to her. Not that she was any prize to look at now; her long black hair was tangled and filthy; pale skin was paler than ever before and streaked with grime, she knew there were bags underneath her darkly obsidian eyes from viewing her reflection once or twice in her water dish and she smelt worse than any farm animal; alive or dead.

"Miss Harte." greeted the visitor; ushered in with obvious distaste in his demeanour by the guardsman. They both wore the Dark Mark but it was the visitor; not the guardsman, who was a true Death Eater.

"Mr Malfoy; a pleasure as always – you look well."

Lucius Malfoy did look well; his cheeks gaunt in an attractive as opposed to starved fashion, his long blonde hair immaculately combed and cleaned, his fingernails spotless, his skin almost as white as hers – though a deal less grubby…though none of that was the thing which she was most interesting concerning Lucius Malfoy. She instead noted that he no longer sneered at her as he did at the guard and the guard did at her. A part of her wondered as to the reason; was she so low beneath his lofty self that she did not merit the effort it would take to loathe her? Or was it because he had realised by now that she did not care as to how he felt or thought? There were far better ways to cause her harm.

"I have come…" he began.

"Upon your usual task." her voice croaked as she spoke; other than humming she used her vocal chords very little and water was scarce. "You are over the slight cold you seemed to be developing yesterday I take it?"

"I am; thank you."

Their strange cordiality had appeared from nowhere three months, by her reckoning, after he had begun paying her visits. Back then it was sporadic, occasionally he would drop in from nowhere with no warning, and she would shout abuse until he tortured her unconscious. Yet eventually she had become tired. That was the crux of it all, she thought, she had just become so tired of being so angry all of the time. Better to accept her lot; accept it and keep thinking of the promise of freedom. Plus her hospitable nature seemed to unnerve him sometimes more than the foulest curse ever could do.

"Will you not ask after my health, Mr Malfoy?" she asked; a wry half smile on her face. It was odd; the pretence almost made her forget that she was about to feel things no human being should feel – no matter what their crime.

"Your health shall depend on our interview's success." he answered; his tone congenial.

"I fear I am not well at all then." was her response.

She was starting to feel it now; the nerves – the fear. His hand was touching the handle of his wand; fingers twitching slightly and betraying his otherwise cool demeanour, his eyes were narrowed as he looked down at her.

"You still refuse? Miss Harte you could be spared all this if you would…"

"No." she answered bluntly.

"Miss…"

"Never." she added. She knew he had known all along that she would give him nothing. She had given him nothing for six long months now. What was one more night of pain compared to the knowledge that all she loved was kept secret and safe?

"Very well; if that is your choice..."

For a moment his icy blue eyes seemed a little less cold than usual. He did not feel pity; she knew that much for he was a Malfoy and Malfoys did not pity those they trampled upon whilst reaching upwards for the golden throne. However she thought she could almost detect just the slightest hint of reluctance there; so slight it was almost invisible…

Then she realised that the Dementors were truly robbing her of all if her final hopes were being placed in the hands of a Malfoy; Lucius Malfoy no less.

He pointed the wand at her; light filled her vision – the pain began.


	2. Azkaban

**Azkaban (June 2022)**

Her hands were shaking. It was happening more often now; she wondered often how long it would take her to reach the lunacy of Frank and Alice Longbottom – she had heard stories about them. They went mad from being tortured again and again and again…how many people had she heard about now who had lost their minds to Death Eaters and their pain games? Frank and Alice were no longer exceptions; they were just a beginning.

Ana looked away from her trembling limbs and instead gazed up at the window. The bars were thick and blocked out much of the moonlight but what she could see was beautiful. It was a calmer night; the sea air was cool as opposed to cold and the salty tang to it was refreshing instead of sickening. She wanted to stand; to look out across the wide sea and try to find out where London was. If she looked at the stars perhaps she could find the right direction; or perhaps she should just look at the stars. They were the same for everyone, stars; so someone she cared about may be looking at those same stars whilst she did. They might share that with her at least.

"Oy; bitch!"

She did not turn. It was a Death Eater; a guardsman, she corrected herself, for everyone seemed to be a Death Eater now and to distinguish a person as one was not really distinguishing them at all.

"BITCH!"

She closed her eyes and turned her head to the wall, brushing her forehead against the rugged rock. The sudden sound of the key scraping in the lock grated on her nerves. She had been so close to losing herself. So very close…

A hand grabbed her hair and pulled her head back sharply; exposing her throat and forcing her to gasp as air was knocked from her windpipe.

"There, y'see?"

She did not see. She would not look. He was a filthy, dirty, stupid little…

"Yer father's dead, bitch."

Her eyes flew open; all promises made to herself went out the window as she jolted into blistering, painful awareness.

"Thought that'd get yer awakenin' – father's dead…Dark Lord himself did the task so's I'm told. Protected you one too many times, yer Dad, you sent him to his…"

She did not give the creature time to finish. Her tremor was gone; replaced with sure movements and steady power and her legs swept his from under him and she grabbed his head between her hands. She pinned his skull so hard to the floor that she thought it would explode from the pressure. His eyes were darting everywhere and his arms and hands were floundering; trying to push her off. Yet he had no hope; her power came from anger and that was something only great strength could overcome.

She looked down into those piggy little eyes; his plump face – made fat from the deaths of hundreds of thousands of muggle born children, from the suppression of those deemed unworthy by the most unworthy beast of all, and promptly proceeded to smash out his brains on the cell floor. She pounded his head against the stone again and again; at first tempted to simply knock him unconscious and yet, in the end, unable to stop herself finishing the job.

It was only when she realised that the only sound to be heard was the pounding of the man's already well caved cranium that she released his hair and looked down at the newly created corpse dispassionately. Then, coolly and without remorse, she dragged his body into the shadows – staring at the open cell door. She could escape…yet she would only run into a hundred Dementors and a squad of the Dark Lord's minions the moment she did so. So instead Ana sat and waited, huddled next to the body of the man she killed, his blood staining her hands, wondering what her father would have said to see her now.

* * *

><p>"She killed him…how?"<p>

Lucius Malfoy was standing before the Head Guardsman of Azkaban; a fearsome man by the name of Emeric Handsforth who was at least Lucius' height and twice his width in muscle.

"The girl smashed his head on the prison cell floor – brutal as I can tell."

Lucius did not feel the need to point out that breaking someone's skull into small pieces with one's bare hands was, undoubtedly, unquestionably brutal.

"Has she been given food regularly? Her water has been changed?"

"What does that matter?"

Lucius fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"There must be a reason Emeric – a reason for why she killed…what was his name?"

"Eric Shugger – he wasn't worth the air he breathed in truth. And yes; fed, watered…the lot; as per the Dark Lord's instruction."

"I do not doubt it. However there must be a cause…"

"Why don't you ask her?" Lucius noted how Handsforth had gained a cunning gleam in his eyes; the kind of gleam which he imagined appeared in the eyes of small boys if they were permitted to break their sister's toys without reprimand. The wretch knew that it would end in torture for the girl. No doubt he wanted to watch.

"I shall." Lucius announced, "You shall remain here; ensure security is un-impeached."

"Of course, Mr Malfoy."

Malfoy smiled at the evident disappointment in the idiot's eyes.

* * *

><p>"Mr Malfoy; how nice to see you again so soon."<p>

She watched as Malfoy stood by the cell door; though whether he was too wary to come any nearer or whether he simply preferred to see her in half shadow instead of full, filthy glory she was not sure.

"Miss Harte; I hear you have been busy."

She said nothing.

"Murdering a pure blooded wizard is a crime punishable by death." he reminded her. She smiled; she did not need reminding.

"Death, Mr Malfoy? What death can be worse than this?"

He looked at her for a long moment; his eyes fixing on hers, and she stared back at him without fear or remorse or any real emotion. She just felt…nothing. It was blissful.

"Why did you do it?" he asked. She clenched her jaw, willing herself not to answer the question and yet knowing she had to.

"Is my father truly dead?" she whispered.

He kept icy blue irises fixed upon her black ones; looking straight at her as though trying to find the answer for himself in her. It was disconcerting; she did not like it…yet she did not look away.

It was he who broke contact, he who looked away, and for a moment she felt disappointed. Only for a moment; for then she heard what it was he had heard; the thundering sound of drums. Except the sound that they could hear did not come from drums beating; she knew the noise well. It came from spells pounding into stone…

She scrambled to her feet, almost falling in her haste, and grasped the iron bars of the window. Looking out she could see, just for one short moment, what looked like hundreds of glowing embers of bright light soaring towards her…

Ana hit the ground before they struck; leaping away from the window and bearing to her left where a small alcove lay. The impact instantly shook the very ground upon which the prison was built - blowing stone from the walls and ripping iron from stone. She crawled from the rapidly falling wall; the one facing the sea had almost completely gone and the iron gated door to her cell was no longer visible amongst the debris. She looked over and saw Malfoy was lying on the ground; he had not been as quick as she and rubble had undoubtedly knocked him out; if not killed him. Either would suit.

She looked out to what was now a gaping hole in the sea-facing wall of her cell. She was reminded of the guard, of the open door, and she looked now to the new escape before her; hesitating for a moment – as though frightened it was all some elaborate trick to break her further.

However nothing happened; so she stood, her legs shaking with adrenaline and curse damage and fear and…everything – how was it possible that she had gone from feeling nothing one moment to everything the next? How could one person feel empty and lost in a single second and then so alive in the next one?

She stumbled to the gap and shielded her eyes as bright light shone through. It was daylight and the sun was warm upon her chilled, bare flesh. Then, tentatively, she stepped over the threshold, across the remains of the wall of her cell, and out onto a tiny ledge. It was so small her feet could barely take purchase on the rock. A look down showed that there were many feet to fall if she were to slip. Yet she knew, in her heart she knew, that those lights had been as much for her as anyone else within Azkaban. She knew that they had come for her; her Order, her family, though it looked now as if their part was done. The rest of her escape would be upon her own shoulders. It made sense, of course, they would have drawn off the Death Eaters…but not, she remembered with a pang of fear, the Dementors. Not all of them at any rate.

She looked to her right and saw the entire prison wall as far as she could see had collapsed; there was nothing left but rubble which the odd person was tumbling and crawling out of. On her left most of the structure was intact; she had been fortunate then. Her wall had not taken the brunt of the attack. Though was it an attack if it meant her escape?

She looked down once again. The thrashing waves were bounding against jagged rocks as she watched foam and sea intermingle. Her hand twitched; though not through curse after effects this time – there was something missing.

"Accio wand." she whispered; praying she was no too weak to perform such powerful wandless magic. She could feel the tug at the corner of her mind; something she had not felt in so long, and yet nothing more happened. She tried again, voicing the words, envisaging her wand in her mind, begging every deity she could think of to allow her just one…

Her eyes alighted upon the horizon; brightly lit but marred at its centre by an ever growing shade of black. It could have been clouds; rainclouds commonly clung to Azkaban, yet Ana knew it was not. She closed her eyes again.

"Accio wand, Accio WAND!" she tried, clenching her fists as she felt her legs threaten to stop holding her weight altogether. Her knees were buckling; after so long without magic…

A whooshing sound caused her to look up. However it wasn't her wand; it was the cloud; bringing with it a wind which already was blowing her tangled mane around her face. The shadow was growing nearer and now she could feel the darkness; it was Him. He was coming. Meanwhile the Dementors were amassing, clawing around the rubble, fighting their way through to her from behind. Yet she could not tear her eyes from the ever growing darkness fast approaching…in front something far worse lay than any Dementor.

"Accio wand, please, please Accio wand, please, Accio wand, Accio…"

A clatter at her feet startled her from her desperate pleas. She looked down to see, resting next to one filthy bare foot, was the one thing she needed more than anything. Hurriedly she crouched down and could not help but smile slightly as the wand slotted into her hand; fitting as perfectly as it had the day it had been taken from her so long ago.

She threw a look back and saw wisps of black cloth and the beginning of claws grasping through the rubble. Turning to face where she knew the Dementors would come she looked behind and down once more; eyeing the rocky death trap below. She did not need to look to the horizon to know that He was almost upon her now. However she had no longer to consider the fall nor the dangers beyond; for without warning a Dementor; followed by another and another, slipped through the ruins of Azkaban and soared terrifyingly quickly at her. Without hesitation Ana threw out her arms and allowed her body, with the help of gravity, to fall backwards.

As she fell she saw the Dementors amass into a group of proportions she had not seen in years and scorch through air towards her falling body. She could barely breathe as the wind whipped past her, searing her skin as she fell, though her mind needed to stay focused.

"One, two, three, four, five…." she counted, not making any sound as she did so but moving her lips all the same. She needed to time everything perfectly; if she did not then she would most certainly die or be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. Whichever caught up with her first; land or shadow, would decide. Her hair was swirling madly around her and she knew her prison shift was no cover at all. Yet dignity came second to survival; always.

Her mind cast back and Sirius' words echoed in her mind unbidden; recounting an almost idle conversation from long ago.

_"You cannot Apparate from Azkaban; if it were possible anyone with wandless magic could simply summon their wand and leave if they wished it. You know the types who are kept there; the strongest, the most powerful... a simple wandless spell would be nothing to them. If you were to escape you would need first to reserve your strength; everything you can, for the time when you would escape. Then you need to find that perfect time. If you have it then do not hesitate. Go; run, and don't look back – but do not leap into the fray too quickly and waste your chance either..."_

_ "But how do you escape?" Ana interrupted, entranced by Sirius' knowledge, "It is an island in the middle of nowhere…"_

_ "Precisely!" Sirius exclaimed, "So how do visitors come and go? Portkeys have long been banned by Him – brooms would take too long and be too inelegant for many Ministry Men…Apparition is the only answer. It wasn't so during my stay but His all-powerfulness has so decreed it – he believes nothing would dare attack Azkaban with so many Dementors and Death Eaters stationed there. He is probably right at that…no one has escaped Azkaban since He took hold..."_

"_Sirius? You were saying as to how to escape…?"_

"_Oh yes; yes I was. So the secret which isn't really a secret is the ground level; just one section of the entire prison, is not warded with anti-Apparition wards. It is the one place where you can Apparate from…if you can get down there."_

The ground was almost upon her; the entire scene which had played out in the comfortable confines of the kitchen of Grimmauld Place had passed before her eyes in but a half moment. Yet it had reminded her of what she was doing; what she had to do. She held her breath as her counting reached fever pitch,

"…twenty one, twenty two, twenty three…"

On the twenty forth count she twisted in the air; seeing the ground barely two feet from her falling body, and thought with all her heart of Grimmauld Place. The last thing she felt was sea salt spray onto her face from the tumbling waves sweeping across the rocks - which were half inches away from impaling her and the terrible pressure of Dementors closing in on her from behind…


	3. Home

**Home (June 2022)**

Her body thudded into the cold pavement and immediately heard the sirens begin to sound. They were only audible to those with magical blood – witches, wizards and magical creatures, and blared out loudly into the murky dusk; causing her to flinch. However Ana had no time to cower from the sound – she needed to act.

Rolling over she scrambled to her feet and looked around. She had Apparated to the corner of Grimmauld Place; numbers eleven and thirteen were clearly in sight but in order to reach them before the Snatchers came she would have to run; fast. So she sprinted, stumbling and even once almost completely falling over, as she made her way to the house which did not exist. Her wand was clutched tightly in a still trembling hand as her bare feet were stung by the sharpness of the pavement. Over her shoulder she could already hear the calls as the Snatchers prepared to take a new victim.

Unauthorised Apparition was not permitted; not anywhere or at any time. If you Apparated anywhere within England without a permit personally signed and handed out by the Minister then the alarms would sound, Snatchers would be sent, they would take you in and you would go to prison. You would go to Azkaban. She knew all of that and that was why she had known there would be no one there to meet her. Because the terrible truth was this; that Grimmauld Place needed protection and her life was not worth giving the up Fidelius Charm protecting it. A group of known Undesirables lingering here waiting for her would give the game away. So now she was on her own; alone until she entered the front door and closed it on the approaching Snatchers.

They rounded the corner just as she skidded to a halt at number thirteen. Turning to look over her shoulder she saw a team of three racing down the street towards her; all of them feral looking. They would already have taken note of her prison shift; they would already know that she was an escapee and, if her notoriety was as she suspected, they would know her name and be prepared to summon the necessary people as soon as she was captured.

So now there was no hope that she could let them live.

Ana crouched as a flurry of Stunning spells flew above her head and whipped her wand forward; sending a wordless jet of green light speeding towards the closest. He immediately stopped mid-step and collapsed dead to the floor. The remaining two seemed only to take her act as a challenge and immediately forwarded two blasts of light to the place where she was crouched. She rolled abruptly; ignoring the pain in her thin arms as she did so whilst simultaneously repelling the spells, and slipped off the kerb and onto the road. As she rolled across the street she sent another spell – though she knew it would miss it would cause the pair to dive out of the way; giving her the distraction she needed.

Instantly coming out of the roll and springing onto her feet she aimed another Avada Kedavra at one of her pursuers; getting him squarely in the face. Now with only one attacker left Ana turned to him; her chest heaving as the exertion took its toll. For a moment neither moved; both summing up the other. She did not know his name, he was not familiar to her, yet she could tell by his countenance that he was no afraid as he should be…which meant he would run.

Sure enough he turned tail almost as the thought crossed her mind and sent a randomly placed spell soaring towards her from over his shoulder as he did so. She leaned to the side, dodging the blast harmlessly, and took careful aim just as he came to the end of the Place. He was level with number one and about to round the corner when her jet of green light hit him directly between the shoulder blades. He slumped to the ground silently.

It was only then that she realised the alarm had stopped sounding. Everything was very quiet; the whole street seemed to have held its breath whilst she had fought for her life. She pointed her wand to the bodies, one by one, and transfigured them into stones; her wand arm trembling violently as she did so. It would ensure that the Muggle police force, as well as the Dark Lord's followers, would never know that an entire Snatcher team had been killed that night by one lone girl.

She then looked over; for she had practically crossed to the fenced off greenery on the other side of the street whilst engaged in battle. She smiled slightly as she looked between the houses and then, in her mind, recited the phrase which she had kept hidden from Lucius Malfoy for six long months.

_12 Grimmauld Place_

Instantly numbers eleven and thirteen began to shuffle apart as something else appeared within the newly created gap. The house seemed to squeeze itself into the Georgian setting; squirming and shoving until finally number twelve came into view.

Immediately she ran forwards, ignoring the weakness in her legs which had come from using so much magic so suddenly after so long without doing any, and came to the steps. She clutched the railing as she mounted the small steps and gently touched the blue door. Then, before anything else could go wrong, she turned the handle and pushed the door open to step inside.

She could not see anything as her feet found parquet instead of stone; everything was in darkness. Turning slowly she pushed shut the door she had just stepped through and leaned against it; her back pressing into the wood as her eyes searched the black before her and tried to see.

Finally, after a long moment in which nothing moved and there was no sound but her own slightly ragged breathing, she murmured the code phrase into the quiet; the phrase she had sworn would be the first thing she would say upon entering Grimmauld Place if she were ever captured and then escaped.

"I'm home."

Instantly she heard a chorus of voices muttering 'Lumos' before the hallway was illuminated in soft white light. She flinched as her eyes adjusted whilst at the same time trying desperately to see faces. Looking around she breathed out harshly as she spotted Remus Lupin, Adora Finch, Victoire Weasley and…

"Sirius?" she whispered; her voice shaking as she spoke. However before she could say anything else Remus Lupin strode forward and placed his wand at her throat. She held her hands out, palms facing him, and submitted. She knew it was all necessary.

"The night you were captured, when we spoke before we left for the mission, what were the last words I said to you?" he asked.

"Oh; and Ana? Don't get yourself caught." she smiled as she responded; reciting the answer with the irony of it all firmly situated in her mind. Remus let out a breath and instantly lowered his wand, reaching out and wrapping an arm around her shoulders in greeting.

"We thought we'd lost you." he said, his deep voice rumbling in her ear.

"It's not that easy." she replied; her own voice cracking as she spoke.

Remus released her and stepped aside; allowing her to see the rest of the group once again. She smiled at the two women before turning to Sirius. She tilted her head slightly, locking her gaze with his, before whispering,

"Hi." he stepped forward and she half fell into his arms as he pressed her close.

"Merlin, Ana, I'm so sorry; we should have been out there with you…"

"No," she breathed, her sticklike arms wrapped tightly around his neck, "I know you couldn't; I had to kill them before I could use the Fidelius Charm and if you had all been there with me they might have called more Snatchers and…"

She ran out of breath and contented herself with pressing her face into Sirius' neck. Her legs were shaking and when Sirius finally released her she had to keep a hold of him so as not to fall over.

"You should rest," Remus stepped in, touching her bare shoulder and smiling slightly; though she noticed his smile seemed strained when he felt how bony her shoulder was, how thin she was altogether.

"Yes, please." she answered, reaching up a hand to cover his own with her own smile.

She held onto Sirius as they walked down the corridor and she knew that the others, despite their smiles and greetings, did not know what to do with her, how to be with her, now they had her back. She could understand it. For six months she had been trapped in Azkaban and now she was returned; skin and bone, filthy, paler than pale and obvious weaker than she had ever been before. She would not admit it but fighting off those Snatchers had taken the last of her energy. Without Sirius' presence at her side and arm to hold onto she was sure she would have to crawl as opposed to walk.

Sirius; he looked well. Better, she knew, than she did at the least. His hair was swept back from his face in a tie; something he had adopted over the last few years, the grey at his temples was no more than it had been the last time she had seen him and his eyes were sparkling. However hidden in the smile she knew were a thousand questions. Ones she would have to answer.

Ana smiled slightly as she realised they were headed for the kitchen; her favourite room in the house, and she half hobbled through the doorway and took the first seat which entered her sight. The others crowded around the long table; all throwing her small glances every so often – probably without even realising they were doing it.

"How are you?" blurted out Victoire; the girl was Ana's own age and beautiful as only the child of a part Veela could be. Her silvery blonde hair had a slight reddish tinge, from her father's side of the family, and her eyes were pale blue; matching those of both her parents – though the glow in her skin was all Veela the sparkle in her eyes was entirely Weasley.

"I'm…alive." Ana answered truthfully, causing Victoire to frown at her own question. Ana offered a small smile to her friend; trying to quieten her worries, and Victoire offered her own dazzling smile in return. It was, Ana thought, the most smiling she had seen or done in months.

"You know before we go any further we must ask you…" began Remus.

"Yes; I know. It's alright – you cannot allow me to do or say anything or go anywhere within the house alone until you have found out what happened; I need to do the debrief." she reeled off the words; rules long ago set down by the Order in case of their members being captured by the enemy, in as light a tone as she could manage.

"So, Ana," Remus finished, his gaze piercing, "What happened?"

She talked for hours. It felt as though she were in any case; though whether that was the truth of it she could not tell. The others all watched her with varying expressions; shock, wonder, horror, fear – she saw them all. Every time she felt herself falter Sirius' hand was on hers; giving her strength in his friendship, and she found the will to carry on. However by the end of her rendition; after she had told them of the torture, of the Dementors and Death Eaters, of the endless lonely days and, finally, of her terrifying escape, her hands were shaking violently once again. She did not know whether trauma or the after effects of persistent cursing were to blame.

"We had planned to rescue you properly; the team who were sent to retrieve you took brooms and were going to go up and fetch you, but the Death Eaters were on them too fast. It turned into a battle for their lives and they were outnumbered almost immediately. The safe houses we had created for those who went on the mission were in use within minutes of them blowing out the walls of Azkaban; we know because we set up alert beacons for the purpose. We thought…"

Sirius stopped speaking and looked at her for a moment; meeting her eyes with his before finishing quietly,

"We had thought that you had been killed when they did not bring you back straight away."

"I took a leap of faith," she tilted her head slightly before adding, "I remember what you told me; about the Apparition level being added, about needing to take the chance should it be given…I assumed it was what I was supposed to do."

"It was amazing!" exclaimed Victoire, her Veela smile in full use and causing Remus and Sirius to have to avoid looking at the girl in order to not get swept into her charm; she might only have a smidgen of Veela blood in her veins but Victoire was simply stunning nonetheless. "Jumping from so high and just hoping that you'd Apparate in time…!"

"It would have been freedom either way." Ana replied simply; all knew her meaning.

"Well I am glad you're safe," interjected Adora; speaking for the first time. "Now we have had all the answers perhaps you should be allowed to rest…?" she looked to Remus for confirmation; he had become de facto leader since Dumbledore had gone into hiding.

"Yes, of course, I am sorry, Ana, after all you have suffered you should not have had to relive it again so soon…"

Ana smiled a crooked smile – his compassion was intact as ever despite the times they were living in.

"I'll take you up." Victoire offered; standing and walking around the table to help Ana to her feet, "Your room is just how you left it – I kept it clean as I knew you'd come back…"

Ana allowed the girl to help her to her feet and threw one last glance back at Sirius. Her friend was watching her as though he was still surprised to see her. She wondered whether he had given up hope of her surviving Azkaban. It was likely; if anyone had asked her before her capture whether she would have lived through a stay in the wizard's prison she would not have predicted herself living past three weeks.

"Good night." she murmured, before limping off towards what she hoped lay ahead for her; a bath and a long, long sleep in a comfortable bed. He watched her hobble out with Victoire's support and murmured as she rounded the corner, out of sight;

"Good night; Ana."


	4. A Moment in Time

**Hello noble readers! I haven't written an A/N before now simply because I find them a bit distracting. However I am making an exception here because of all my lovely alerters, reviewers, favouriters etc. who have been so kind! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! Thank you for your loveliness and I hope you keep reading!**

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><p><strong><span>A Moment in Time (June 2022)<span>**

_"My Lord; I beg you – the child is young, impressionable, she did not know…"_

_"She has defied me." the cold voice sounded resolute; simmering with hidden anger._

_"My Lord, please, for all my loyal years of service to your cause and all I have given in your name; she is my daughter…"_

_"It is not enough, my friend – not this time. She has defied me and you have hidden her from me all this time…your betrayal cuts me deep. Yet my pain shall be nothing to yours - CRUCIO!"_

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><p>Ana opened her eyes, drawing in a deep breath as she shook the nightmare.<p>

She had sat in the bath Victoire had run for her for a very long time; so long that Victoire had been forced to come and fetch her, staring into the water at her own reflection. She was not the person she had been and now she understood why everyone had been so hesitant with her. Her face was gaunt; her cheekbones standing out sharply above hollow cheeks, beneath her sunken eyes were bags coloured a bruised black, her hair was straggling after six months of being unkempt and her limbs were so thin Ana could hardly look at them without flinching. In the environs of Azkaban the changes had seemed appropriate – it was only now she was in the familiar confines of Grimmauld Place that she truly saw the toll Azkaban had taken on her.

Once Victoire had helped her dry off and put her into a long, warm nightshirt Ana had been put to bed; as a child would be by their mother, and almost immediately drifted off to sleep. However her dreams were plagued with images; scenes her memory played out from the long months in Azkaban, scenes from Grimmauld Place which were twisted beyond the comforting nature they had once held, the faces of those who had died for her, for their cause, by her hand…her father begging for her life and…

She wished nothing more than to close her eyes again; yet she knew that would not stop her from remembering her nightmares. She knew that the darkness which lay in her mind was best accessed in the dark – in her dreams.

Slowly, wincing as injuries old and new complained at the movement, Ana clamoured from her bed. Victoire had been right; her room was exactly as it had been left the day she had been captured. The carpet was soft but she gritted her teeth all the same as the tens of tiny cuts upon her feet stung at the contact. She looked around; at the small desk in the corner which had once belonged to Sirius' brother and was now covered in papers and books belonging to various members of the Order, at the bookshelf crammed with yet more books, the wardrobe which housed all of her elaborate Victorian styled dresses which; in the new order, were obligatory for all witches. It also housed some men's attire; for missions when it was necessary for her identity to be disguised.

Ana walked slowly toward the door; which she saw had been left open a crack. A golden glow seeped through the gap – artificial light - she had slept long enough for night to fall at least. She slipped out through the open doorway and slowly made her way down the stairs. She did not realise she was headed for the kitchen until she stood before the door. Between the gap between the door and the frame more light spilled out – someone it seemed had also failed to find sleep. She reached out, touched the handle, hesitating as she wondered whether she wished to be in company, before deciding that being alone for six months was quite long enough and pushing the door open.

Inside Sirius sat; he had a book in his hands, his legs crossed and the hand holding the book balanced on his knee. He looked up as she entered and smiled softly when he saw it was she who had come. She smiled in return and pressed the door shut behind her before making her way over to the table and taking the seat at its head.

"You could not rest any longer?" he asked.

"No; my dreams were…" she paused, not wanting to voice the things she had seen, before finishing, "I feel as though I have slept this half year away; locked in a nightmare. I would rather live my life in the wakening world; for a while at least."

He nodded slowly, still watching her as he did so.

"Would you like anything?" he murmured, "Something to drink; to eat?"

She thought for a moment; realising she had most probably been driven to the kitchen as there lay the sustenance she had not been allowed for so long. Her body had obviously taken its care unto itself as her mind seemed little interested.

"I would," she replied, starting to get up. However he waved a hand and stood himself,

"I'll do it. It's the least I can do." he walked over to a cupboard and began searching around. "What would you like? Something plain would probably be best; you have not eaten anything rich in so long…you would probably be ill if you did so without a lining to your stomach first."

She nodded, half listening to his words and half focused on watching him move around. She had thought she would never see him again; that she would die in Azkaban and never return to Grimmauld Place and the Order and…

"My father," she blurted out; suddenly remembering that she had not confirmed the words the guardsman had spoken to her, "They told me he was dead. Is he dead Sirius? Did He kill him?"

She saw Sirius pause in his actions; it was all the answer she needed. Her fists clenched and she took in a deep breath – trying her best to come to terms with the truth.

"He took one too many risks," Sirius continued working as he spoke, his back to her, and she listened to his explanation, "Went too far with…with the Dark Lord."

"It was because of me." she ground out. He did not say anything to the contrary.

"He knew that he would die before his time, Ana, he was lucky to live this long under His service…your father was no friend of mine but he was damned brave; I'll give him that. His actions will not be forgotten."

He turned and placed a glass of water and some thinly sliced bread before her. She pushed thoughts of her father from her head.

"I know you're probably sick of the sight of this stuff after Azkaban but…"

"I know, my stomach..." she answered; her thoughts still, despite her best efforts, lingering with her father. She knew she should have been saddened, in truth she was in a way, but her grief was pale. Her father might have died for her but she had barely known him since he had shipped her to Grimmauld Place when she was ten in order to attempt to hide her from Him. In a way the man she called father was more a figment than He could ever be.

"Go on, eat." Sirius prompted her; snapping her from her reverie. She smiled weakly and reached out to take the bread. However she noted as she did so that her hand was shaking severely. After a few moments she clenched her fist and let the hand fall onto the table. She did not want anyone to see her like that; let alone Sirius Black.

"It will get better," he murmured, "It was the same for me when I first escaped. It fades with time – though it does not ever truly leave you."

As he spoke he took his seat once again and reached over for the bread. He tore a bite-sized strip off and held it to her mouth. She raised a brow, an action which was greeted with a twinkling mock glare, before obediently opening her mouth, accepting the bread and beginning to chew.

They remained like that for some time; her slowly making her way through the meal as Sirius patiently fed her. It was only when she had successfully eaten every last crumb and drunk half of the water provided that he spoke again.

"Are you not cold?"

She frowned and looked down at herself; reminded only by his words that she was in nothing but her nightdress. She shrugged; he had seen her in bed clothes before when she had wandered around the house by night. Even before Azkaban she had never been a deep sleeper.

"You could have at least put something on your feet." He scolded; his gentle tone alluding to the fact that he was in fact teasing.

"They're still sore," she explained, looking away from him and instead shifting her gaze to her lap, "From the escape; I had to do a little running."

For a moment he said nothing. It was only when the silence became too empty that she looked up to see him studying her. He seemed sad, she thought, much sadder than she had seen him in a very long time.

"Here, let me see," he shook his head with a wry half smile before adding, "You were always getting yourself into scrapes when you were young; Remus and I - and whoever else was to hand -were forever patching you up!"

She allowed him to take her left leg and lever it up so he could see the sole of her foot. She saw his brow wrinkle for a moment as he looked at the damage before the creases disappeared as he announced lightly,

"Just a few small cuts and bruises; I have some Dittany somewhere in here you could use…"

He gently placed her leg back down and stood once again; this time to search for the potion. She watched his back as he moved around, looking through every space, until she felt compelled to say quietly,

"It wasn't your fault, Sirius. You're not to blame for me being taken."

He looked over his shoulder at her and replied sharply,

"I said I would take care of you. I did not."

"You also said not to take unnecessary risks; good advice that I ignored. My capture was a result of my own stupidity; mine alone. I knew that going after Dolohov was a mistake but…" she stopped and looked away; trying not to allow the tears she could feel threatening any purchase.

"He killed Molly's brothers; he killed countless of our number. You had reason to want revenge. Then there was Neville; of course. I know; we all liked Longbottom – he was a good man."

"I was angry. I was careless…my fault; not yours."

She waited as he seemed to be thinking through her words. Then, after several long moments, he nodded; only once – a slight jerk of the head, but she saw it.

"Ah!" he exclaimed suddenly, "Here we are – Dittany!" he span around and presented the small bottle with a theatrical flourish; causing her to giggle (something she had not done in what felt like forever) and reward him with a simpering,

"My hero!"

He grinned and retook his seat, gesturing for her to give him her foot.

"You don't have to…" she began. However he cut her off with a huff and a faux-wounded,

"You doubt my skills in Healing? I have you know I am a Master Healer; madam."

She felt there was no other option but to concede gracefully. Ana tried not to flinch as the Dittany was dabbed into the cuts, cleaning and healing them, Sirius was being as gentle as he could. She already knew he felt guilty; guilty for her being taken, though the fault was not his.

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><p><em>She dodged a curse and threw one in return. Her opponent swirled through the air in an act which was part magical and part acrobatic before slamming into the ground and resuming his attack. She leapt skywards; barely clearing the jet of green headed toward her, sending her own bolt of green light springing towards her enemy. He did not react quickly enough; his counter-spell no good against her death spell. He keeled over instantly; the spell hitting him just above the heart, and she landed in a crouch. Her head whipped up as she scanned the area around her; the mission had been a failure before they had begun. Someone had tipped off the Ministry; there was no hope of them getting anywhere near the Department of Mysteries; never mind all the way to…<em>

_"Ana; get down!" she ducked as a bolt of green light shot over her head; missing her by inches. She nodded her thanks to Neville and whirled around the dispatch the wizard who had tried to kill her. She steeled herself to see Antonin Dolohov; he was one of the most powerful and most loyal of Voldemort's Death Eaters. She threw an Avada Kedavra at him; which he deflected easily. He smirked as he retaliated; his own jet of green light only missing her by a hair's breadth. Ana knew that no matter how good a duellist she was Dolohov was better; he had age and experience she could only imagine and a heart blackened by years of dark service._

_However before he could throw another spell Dolohov seemed to freeze. Ana let a sigh of relief as she saw Neville to her right; he had seemingly used a Body-Bind curse as she watched Dolohov fall flat onto his face; his torso stiff as a board. She raced over and clapped Neville on the shoulder, avoiding spells as she raced to reach him._

_"That's the second time you've saved my life tonight!" she exclaimed._

_"Let's make it the…" he stopped as his eyes widened and a look of horror appeared on his face. She span around to see Dolohov not lying on the floor bound but stood directly ahead of them; a murderous grin plastered across his dark features and his wand pointed straight at them. Instantly a flurry of panicked thoughts flew through her mind; how had he broken free, how had it done it so quickly, why wasn't he on the floor?_

_She only saw the green light for a moment before she felt herself being pushed out of the way. She hit the ground hard, jarring her arms as she tried to break her fall, and felt the breath being knocked from her body. She levered herself up to look back…and saw what she most feared. Neville Longbottom was lying on the ground not far from where she herself lay; his eyes wide open and lifeless. Ana looked over to Dolohov; who was advancing on her now, and flipped over to send a flurry of furious spells at him. He was laughing, she could hear his laughter above the shouting and the thudding of spells colliding, and her anger boiled ever hotter._

_She tried to get up but couldn't; she could breathe and she was getting weaker by the moment, instead concentrating on trying to stop Dolohov. However he seemed unstoppable, his spells almost teasing as none, she knew, would kill her. He was going to have fun, he was…_

_The Stunning spell hit her squarely in the face. Consciousness immediately began to leave her. She heard someone shout her name though her increasingly foggy brain could not understand who. The last thing she felt was Dolohov's breath; hot on her face._

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><p>"Ana?"<p>

She snapped out of the memory and looked up to see that Sirius was staring at her. Her left foot didn't hurt anymore so he had obviously finished applying the Dittany. She shook her head and murmured,

"I'm sorry. I was caught up in the past."

He nodded slowly and gestured for her to give him her other foot. She did so, closing her eyes as he began to apply the potion. For a moment all was quiet; until he broke into the silence.

"Dumbledore came back; soon after you were taken. He did not stay long, it wasn't safe, but he did leave me something to give to you…for if you ever returned."

She opened her eyes at his words and waited. He sighed, pausing in his actions to reach into the breast pocket of his black waistcoat and produced from it a folded letter on creamy parchment. Ana took the letter wordlessly and looked at it for a few long seconds. It was only when she felt Sirius begin once again to apply his ministrations to her foot that she slowly opened the parchment and began to read.

_My dear Miss Harte,_

_If you are reading this, which I hope very much you are, then you have somehow escaped the horrors of Azkaban. For that I am pleased beyond measure. However I fear your perils are not yet over. The plans we spoke of before your capture, I am afraid, are still very much our only present hope of defeating Him. You know, of course, that on the night you were taken the Department of Mysteries was our target. Inside I had hoped you would retrieve a great relic of the Wizarding World; the last remaining Time Turner in existence. Attached to the end of this note is the incantation I had hoped would enable to device to take you back to the time you need to reach. All you need do is alter it according to the date you wish to depart on. By now He must suspect our plans at least in part– which means that it is more important than ever that the Time Turner is retrieved before He feels the need to destroy it._

_I know, Miss Harte, that throwing this responsibility anew onto your shoulders at such a time seems cruel. However I must remind you that we are none of us products of a world we asked for. We all have burdens to bear; though this perhaps is the greatest of them all – greater even than that your father bore all his life. Remus knows what to tell you; I informed him of our preliminary plans after your capture. You may speak to him about it; no other. Not even Sirius until the time is right. The Time Turner must be retrieved; in the meanwhile I would request that you become acquainted with the time to which you must soon visit (if our plans go as we hope). I would think Miss Granger would be most useful in that if she can be persuaded to pay you a visit._

_I am, my dear child, most happy that you are returned to us unharmed. I can only apologise for the fact that you have fallen from the Hornet's Nest only to be sent now into the Wolf's Cave as reward. Yet you are, Lantana Lilly Harte, our last remaining hope. Only you can complete this task with any chance of success. I wish you well child; I wish you fortune – for all our sakes._

_Your friend,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

She knew that Sirius was waiting for her to say something. However for a long time she could not say anything. She simply looked down at the parchment; her eyes reading and rereading random sections as she strove to understand why it had to be her. There were so many great wizards and witches still left within the ranks of the Order. Why did she have to give up everything, her entire life, to go back and fix the mistakes made before she was even born?

The laughter came from nowhere. It was slightly desperate, more than a little hysterical, she knew that much. Yet it was also as honest as she could be; because in her heart she knew that he was asking her to complete the great task of undoing the past and rewriting it – something which had never in Wizarding history been done before on such a scale – because she had nothing left to lose.

"Ana? What is it? What did he say?"

She wiped away an errant tear; though whether one caused by laughter or sorrow she could not tell, and sliding her foot from his lap she leaned over and pressed a hand to Sirius' cheek. His eyes searched hers; looking for an answer she knew she could not yet give, and she finally whispered,

"Call a meeting of the Order. We are going to return to the Ministry. We have to reach the Department of Mysteries," she shushed him when he began to protest, "No, Sirius, no you don't understand. This is the key to changing everything. We need the Time Turner. I need the Time Turner."

She smiled; no longer masking the tears in her eyes, before leaning forward and gently pressing a kiss to his forehead. She heard him sigh as she did so and could not resist pressing her forehead to his for a long moment, inhaling his scent as she did so, before adding in a breath,

"I also need you to bring me Hermione Granger."

"You know she won't come," he objected, "She has…"

"Persuade her," she sat back in her chair and tilted her head, watching him stare at her with so many emotions in his eyes she could not even begin to name them all, "I know you can if you will but only try."


	5. The Meeting

**Hello all! Just a note to say there might not be a chapter up tomorrow; technical difficulties are slaughtering me at present but I hope they'll be fixed for Thursday. I promise we will jump in time next chapter so you'll finally get to meet up with our favourite canon heroes! Thanks for all your support; you guys are awesome!**

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><p><strong><span>The Meeting (July 2022)<span>**

"Thank you all for coming."

Ana felt more than a little awkward as she stood at the head of the table. Every Order member of any importance was there; seated before her and waiting- wondering with varying degrees of curiosity as to what was going on. Sirius was seated on her right and Remus on her left; lending her the support she needed. On the table before her was Dumbledore's letter as well as various books she had thought relevant.

"The reason I have asked that we all meet tonight is an important one. As some of you know on the night I was captured six months ago; the night we lost a lot of good people, we were engaged on a mission that took us within the Ministry of Magic itself; a mission which should, if it had been successful, taken us further still – into the Department of Mysteries. However what most people do not know is what we were searching for. A Time Turner; the last Time Turner in fact – the item which Dumbledore believes is our key to overthrowing Him."

She paused to gauge reactions. Most looked confused, many disbelieving and one or two even seemed amused by her speech. However there were some; Remus and Sirius among them, who seemed to understand her words. Remus, she knew, had as much knowledge of the task at hand as she did which explained his acceptance and Sirius trusted her so that covered his. However Ana was pleased to see another at the table was looking pensive as opposed to puzzled about Dumbledore's plan. Hermione Granger was gazing at her with a look of what only could be described as intense interest in her eyes.

"We all know the properties of Time Turners; depending on the amount of times the user turns the hour glass the user can then travel back in time the number of hours corresponding to the turns. Three turns equals three hours; etc. We also all know that Time Turners can only be used to go back a short amount of time; six hours is the accepted limit in most cases – if used to return any further back in time they can become unstable…"

"Excuse me," growled out a man at the end of the table. The grizzled figure of Alastor Moody shifted in his seat and he eyed her, literally, with a tinge of annoyance, "What good is any of this to us? As much as academia might float your boat I for one have other…"

"Alastor, please, if you give me a chance I promise it will all make sense."

She waited until the former Auror gave her a brief, sharp nod of acquiescence before she continued,

"Dumbledore thinks he has found a way to extend the amount of time a person can go back using a Time Turner; substantially. If there was one moment in time which we would go back to in order to stop Him growing strong and taking over when would it be?"

"Day he was born?" inputted Victoire.

"Perhaps," Ana concurred, "But that would be, I think, too far for even Dumbledore to manage. I was thinking something closer to home. You see in many ways He created his greatest weakness; he forged the one person who could destroy him. So to stop him it would have to be after he marked his enemy but before…"

"If you mean Potter," interrupted Freddie Weasley; George's son in many ways but severely lacking the never ending optimism of his father and Uncle, "Then you might as well stop there. Potter died; remember? Died in the Department of Mysteries; not the hero he made out to be after all…"

Sirius immediately stood, his chair flying backwards from the force of the movement, and drew his wand; pointing it at the red headed boy. Within moments everyone else at the table had also drawn wands; some pointed to Sirius, others to Fred and many at one another. Ana turned to Sirius and reached over to put a hand on his left shoulder, turning him slightly to look at her.

"Sirius, please, don't be angry. Freddie doesn't understand; many of us who lived after Potter don't; you know that. We only know him as another dead boy – one of many. We don't need discord now; it would aid Him."

He kept his glare fixed on the Weasley boy for several long seconds more before slowly stowing away his wand in his waistcoat and retaking his seat. She laid her hand over his, squeezing it in a gesture of thanks, before turning once again to the table.

"Are we all finished? Good; because there isn't time for this now…"

"So it is Harry you're talking about?" Hermione Granger interrupted, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun. Ana nodded her affirmation; looking at the woman with no little curiosity. Granger had become a recluse after Ronald Weasley had been killed in '99 – or so Ana had been told. She reappeared sporadically and never for long; Ana was half convinced Sirius must have Imperio'd the woman in order to get her there.

"Dumbledore thinks Harry Potter is the key to stopping Him. The calculations have been done time and time again and we think '91 is our limit in time – we can go no further than that. I've looked over everything; every moment from Harry Potter's birth to his death and every single event before and after that; especially after '91. In my mind if we want to place all our chances on Potter then we need to stop his death – it's the one big mistake which could be righted. Before that he was fine and Dumbledore thinks that if he had survived past that day there's every chance he would have won the war."

"You propose someone going back to '96 and…what? Throwing themselves in the way of the curse? Clobbering You Know Who over the head with a club and hoping Potter has the sense to run? Who do you suppose would go back now? Who would face the Dark Lord himself in order to save a boy who might or might not be able to right the world?" Moody huffed out.

There was a long pause where no one spoke.

"I would," Ana finally answered, "I will. If that's what it takes; if I have to wrestle Him down with my bare hands in order to give Potter a fighting chance then that's what I'll do. It's what I have to do."

"No, I'll go…" began Hermione.

"You can't," Ana interrupted, "You're already there, remember? The fifteen year old version of yourself will be present; you couldn't go even if you wanted to."

"I would not kill myself!" Hermione exclaimed.

"No – but one of your friends might act in impulse; thinking you were a Death Eater in disguise or a figment…no it has to be someone who wasn't there – someone who didn't know Potter – ideally someone who wasn't alive then."

Again silence as all the younger members of the Order looked amongst themselves.

"Don't look so concerned," Ana half smiled as she watched them all exchange worried glances, "The decision is already made. I've discussed it with Dumbledore, with Remus; it's decided. I'll be the one to undertake this mission. However for it all to be possible we need the Time Turner. Which is why you've all been called – I am asking if any would be prepared to come with me into the Ministry to retrieve the Time Turner."

Immediately Hermione Granger shot to her feet.

"I will; if it's all I can do then I will; for Harry."

Sirius stood next, closely followed by Remus. Moody hefted himself to his feet and Victoire sprang up with a grin plastered on her face which was so reminiscent of her father Ana couldn't help but smile in return. Fred Weasley rose, dragging his friend Gideon Hamley with him. Teddy Lupin stood, ignoring a stern look from his father, and Roxanne Weasley rose soon after. Kateline Bones rose, seeming somewhat uncertain until she looked across to see Hetty Bones also on her feet. Ana smiled as she saw that no one around the table, in the end, was left sitting; despite their reservations they were all willing to fight for the prospect of a better future.

"I know that this won't be easy," she murmured, "I know that we're going to lose people in this; last time we barely got past the front door. But I want you all to know; I would die for anyone standing at this table. I would give my life to this cause; as others have before me. Thank you for your support. Remus will tell you all the details before you leave and make sure you all know what each of you are going to be doing; what I can say is that this will be happening soon; so be ready."

Chatter broke out as the group began to disperse. Ana let out a sigh of relief at the success the meeting had held. Sirius pulled her into a one armed hug and pressed a light kiss to her temple in congratulations before meandering off. She knew he was leaving her to her next task; getting Hermione Granger to talk.

"Hermione? Can I have a word with you?"

She watched the witch turn to face her and noted that she seemed tired. Not tired in the lack of sleep sense but more in the way Sirius sometimes seemed tired; or Remus did when anyone mentioned his late wife. It was more a sense of being weary of the world. The again who wasn't weary of the world they lived in?

"Yes; I thought you might want to." Hermione responded.

She docilely followed Ana through the kitchen door, out into the hall and then through another door on the right into what Sirius branded his study. Why he needed a study when he never did anything studious was beyond Ana completely but still…

"What is it you need to know?" asked Hermione.

Ana turned to the woman and decided that going straight for the kill was the best method.

"I need to know as much as you can tell me about the way Harry Potter died. Sirius, Remus…all the people that were there and are still living have told me everything they can but…"

"You want the opinion of the last remaining member of the Golden Trio?" asked Hermione, a slight bitterness in her voice, "Who can blame you? People have been trying to get my story out of me for twenty six years; even before Ron…" she stopped abruptly.

"I'm sorry; I know it must be hard…" Ana began,

"Do you? Of course you don't. They say you've just gotten out of Azkaban; escaped? That's quite something. I can't escape; not from what happened. Harry and Ron were my best friends, Ron was going to be my husband, and He took all that away from me. You can't know what it's like – you don't know anything beyond this darkness. You don't know what it is to have light in your life and then have it taken away from you."

Hermione stopped, drawing ragged breaths, and Ana did her best to maintain her ground. Sirius had said that Granger seemed a little…unhinged nowadays. Ana was beginning to think he wasn't joking. She took in the wildly bushy hair; now greying slightly at the roots, the deadened eyes which even in the midst of a fury held no life, the pallid skin which spoke of days spent alone indoors…she did truly look as though she had just come from Azkaban herself.

"Hermione? I'm sorry but I need you to tell me; about the Department of Mysteries? I know I don't have a right but if I stand any chance of helping Harry Potter then it's you I need now."

"It was June," Hermione began, her voice flat as she spoke tonelessly, "The eighteenth of June nineteen ninety six. Harry had this…vision. He said he saw Sirius captured by Him; saw Him torturing Sirius. He wanted Sirius to give Him something…"

"The Prophecy?" Ana asked gently; remembering the detail from Sirius' recounting.

"Yes; a little glass orb which was supposed to change things in some monumental way. I don't know how; it was broken in the end. All for nothing; all that death for nothing…" she paused before taking a shuddering breath and continuing, "I tried to tell him; tell him that Vo…that You Know Who was using him. I tried but…he wouldn't listen. He went to the Floo and asked that rat Kreacher if Sirius was at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher answered no; Sirius wasn't there. He'd been bribed; bribed by the Malfoys but we didn't know that then. We were caught by Umbridge; Delores Umbridge that was – she's some big wig now but she was nothing but a sad little bitch then – still is probably in a way. We got free and we went to get Sirius back…except we couldn't could we because Sirius had never left Grimmauld Place. He was there all the time. It was all some trap by Him to lure Harry there and get the Prophecy. We got through every obstacle the Department of Mysteries threw at us and in the end there were Death Eaters waiting; so many of them…Malfoy was there too – Lucius Malfoy. He made Harry give up the prophecy – the Death Eaters had us all captive and Harry couldn't let them hurt us…that was when the Order came. I thought it was going to be alright then; I thought the Order would save us…but the Death Eaters fought them and Harry somehow slipped under the radar. A vision was our best guess; a vision planted to draw him away. Sirius was knocked out during the battle and everyone thought Harry was with him until we realised he wasn't...any way Harry disappeared during the battle and when it was done and the Death Eaters rounded up we all realised…we searched. It was me who found him; lying in the Atrium. There was no blood – strange, I thought, no blood and yet he was so pale…as if he had no blood left in him. There was water everywhere and Dumbledore was lying nearby; he looked dead too. He wasn't dead though; about to be because You Know Who was there – about to stop Dumbledore forever, about to kill him…and then the Minister came with all the cavalry – too late as usual – and He went away with Lestrange, the bitch, and then it was over. Harry was dead and Dumbledore was unconscious for nearly a year. Harry was dead; no one could believe it you know, but he was dead – dead as dead could be…"

Ana reached out and put a hand on Hermione's arm. The older woman flinched and shook the contact away. Ana's jaw had clenched as she had listened to Hermione's story. It had all come out so fast; she had barely paused for breath, and everything was so vague…but Ana couldn't bear to put her through it all again. Her feelings must have shown in her eyes for a moment later Hermione snapped;

"Don't pity me. I don't need your pity. There you've got your story – it'll be enough. You need to make sure Harry doesn't go to the Atrium. You do that he'll be alright – everything will be alright. Just make sure he doesn't go to the Atrium."

Ana nodded, looking into Hermione Granger's eyes and for the first time seeing the maddening sorrow there in full rawness. She was broken, Ana thought, broken so badly and beyond any repair. All that would change if the past could be altered. She could save Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger, and all the others who had died through His rule.

It was a thought which made the things that would be given up by undertaking the mission a little more bearable at least.


	6. The Time Chamber

**OH MERLIN! Sorry about being a bit late with this; tech/life problems still hating on me. Hope you enjoy this extra long edition which is to make up for my tardiness. Involves fight scenes and blood for the gore lovers and tender moments for the romantics. Love to you all! **

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><p><strong>The Time Chamber (July 2022)<strong>

"It's going to be tonight."

Remus swept into the kitchen and dropped into a seat next to her; stealing some toast from her plate and shoving it into his mouth. She didn't scold him; he'd been out all the night before informing the Order members of the changes to the plan. Instead she poured him some tea; black with two sugars, and placed it before him without a word.

"Sirius should be down soon," she murmured once he had successfully swallowed down half the tea and crammed the remainder of the toast down his throat. She handed him another slice and smiled as he wolfed down the second piece as quickly as the first.

"Good; there are still some things I need to discuss with him…but it's you I need to talk to now, Ana. It's time you told me everything I don't know…"

"…and you told me everything I don't know." She finished. Dumbledore's plan of giving them half the information each until the last moment had been a solid one so far; there had been no leaks and as far as they could tell the Death Eaters had no idea as to their plans – yet.

"Yes; well I'll go first. The Time Turner will be charmed to make each turn last a year instead of an hour – so you'll turn it…"

"…twenty six and one twelfth times; no more and no less. It'll be tricky."

"It will – shame we're a month out but there's nothing to be done for it. Dumbledore altered the spell so it should pick up on where you want to go anyway – give you a little extra help."

"Good – so Time Turner turns twenty six and a bit times, I'm transported back to Grimmauld Place circa '96…"

"…the Time Turner explodes – did you know that bit? You'll have to drop it fast to stop it from burning you; the magic won't hold past your grounding in '96."

"Yeah I know that part. It'll go boom so I can't get home on that Time Turner."

There was a pause. Remus had stopped chewing, stopping slurping his tea, and was staring at her. She frowned, watching as his expression of disbelief turned to one of horror.

"What?" she asked quickly, "Merlin what did I say wrong? Twenty six and a bit, drop the…"

"No!" he exclaimed, "No you didn't…I can't believe Dumbledore's done this. Damn him - how could he not tell you?" Remus paused for a moment before murmuring, "Ana once you're…when you enter '96 in order to stop anything you do erasing you from that time as well as the future there are various…holds in place. Merlin I thought you knew…damn Dumbledore to hell…"

"Remus?" she breathed, reaching out to place a hand on his arm, "What is it? What's so bad that you're this scared of telling me?"

He looked up before blurting out quickly,

"Once you're there you can't come back. In order to make sure your actions aren't erased , to make sure you're not erased – as you will be if Potter lives and there are no precautions in place – Dumbledore put down a safety net for you in the spell he wrote for the Time Turner. It'll fix you in Time; you'll have to continue through time in a linear way – through age. You can't use a Time Turner, not ever again, or it'll throw everything out…" he tailed off to look at her.

She was biting her lip, chewing it furiously as she thought over everything Remus said. If she made the jump through time back to '96 she could never go back. She could never come home to the Grimmauld Place she knew, she'd not be friends with Victoire as Victoire wouldn't be born yet, she'd never see the Remus she knew…or Sirius…she'd lose everything she cared about.

"It makes no difference. Yes; he should have told me and he's a bastard for not but it changes nothing. I still have to do this." She couldn't keep a slight tremor from her voice – despite the strength she tried to show.

"Ana; you didn't know, if you change your mind we won't think…" Remus began.

"No," she interrupted, "It's not like I'll never see you again, is it? I'll see you – just a younger you, a you that doesn't know me yet." she smiled before adding, "It'll be alright. So Time Turner goes poof and there's no going back. Then…?"

"…then you go, save Harry and – this is important, in the Department of Mysteries you HAVE to destroy all the Time Turners - all of them; every last one. He can never be able to get hold of one and change what we've achieved – what you'll have achieved."

She nodded slowly, still thinking over what he had said. She was taking a one way ticket into the past; a one way ticket into a world that didn't know her. She would essentially lose everything through one action – a real martyrdom. She almost laughed at the thought.

Footsteps sounding down the stairs drew her from her thoughts. She looked to Remus, who was still studying her, she knew, for any sign that she would back out, and muttered quickly,

"Don't tell Sirius that I can't come back. Not until after I've gone – not at all if you can help it. He won't let me go if he thinks there's no way back."

After a moment's hesitation Remus nodded. A second later the kitchen door opened and Sirius strode in; a cheery smile appearing as he saw they were both already up and waiting for him.

"Good morning both;" he called, "Remus; how did things go last night? Are the troops sufficiently rallied?"

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><p>She tapped her thigh one last time to make sure she had everything. Beneath her staid looking dark red dress with its high neckline and mid length sleeves was a veritable arsenal of wizarding weaponry. As well as her wand secured in a specially made holster the cursed daggers Sirius had given her for her coming of age and several silver cased pellets which she intended to use against any possible werewolves which would no doubt appear if things did not go to plan sat against her skin. In a small pouch also securely tied beneath her dress were a few other meagre possessions. The bag had been charmed by Hermione Granger with an undetectable extension charm which, Ana had been assured, would hold long after they were all dead. In it were some letters, a few trinkets which had been presents from various friends over the years and other oddments which were all she could think of to sum up her life. A thigh high, discreet, slight in the red material allowed easy access.<p>

"You alright?" asked Sirius for perhaps the thousandth time that evening.

"As I'll ever be." she replied simply. He nodded and turned his attention back to the clock. Everyone had arrived on time and they were now waiting for the minute hand to reach four minutes past midnight; the arranged Disapparation time. There was not one person in the room who was not nervous – excepting perhaps Hermione who simply looked pallidly determined and Moody who seemed as unemotional as ever.

"Are you sure…?" Sirius murmured again.

"Yes!" she exclaimed suddenly into the quiet, her voice a hiss, "Sirius yes; I'm doing this. Yes I'm going to go back, save Potter's arse and fix time. Does that sound fine to you? Yes? Me too! Great!"

He didn't say anything for a long moment.

"I was just…" he finally broke in, his soothing tones only grating on her further.

"I'm sorry," she interjected, softening when she looked to see the way he was looking at her. The words were from her mouth before she could stop them,

"I'm just scared."

She didn't know what else to tell him; in fact it was the truth, more or less. She couldn't say that far more than her fear was her sadness at knowing it was the last time she would see her friends as she knew them. The next time she saw Sirius Black he wouldn't know who she was.

"So am I." he whispered, his hand creeping into hers.

For a moment it was too hard; too difficult for him to be so kind now when she needed most to forget what she was leaving behind. However the soft part of her, perhaps her heart, could not deny that his comfort was welcome. She squeezed his hand tightly in her own and, without thinking, blurted out,

"Don't forget me, will you?"

She saw Remus throw her a sharp look from across the room and, taking heed, said nothing more. However it had been enough for Sirius who pulled her to him and wrapped her in a tight, warm hug, whispering in her ear,

"Forget you? I won't let a day pass without thinking of you, girl, and I won't rest easy until you're home again."

She could have cried and if it wasn't for Remus calling out the one minute signal she would have. Instead she gave Sirius her best smile, if slightly more watery than usual, and still holding tight to his hand moved away to prepare to Apparate.

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><p>Immediately sirens began to sound. Her heartbeat raced as she ran; following Remus' lead as he lead her through the twisting and turning annuls of the Ministry. It was impossible to Apparate directly into the Department of Mysteries; you could only walk there through the designated magical entrances. However Remus had spent weeks pouring over maps and diagrams and instructions and now he navigated each obstacle with ease. Behind them, in the Atrium, she could hear the duelling which had commenced almost as soon as she had Remus had begun to run. The Death Eaters might not have known of their plan but they were always ready to defend the Ministry from attack.<p>

Her wand was in her hand, she had needed to defend herself almost from the moment they Apparated, and as they had blown out the main doors leading into the Atrium curses had flown at her left and centre. Hermione Granger had leapt in front of her, wand flying through the air as curse after curse passed her lips - Remus had simply grabbed Ana's hand and dragged her onwards.

They flew through level after level of the Ministry coming ever closer to their eventual target – the very bowels of the Ministry itself. Remus muttered almost constantly as they went; disarming enchantments and undoing curses. Behind them Ana could occasionally hear shouts as people were hit with various spells and she prayed to all the great wizards that ever where that her friends would be alright.

She kept her eyes forward as they eventually reached the lifts; they had been moved some thirteen years ago in order to stop anyone who had previously worked for the Ministry from using their knowledge of where the elevators went to reach the top secret lower levels. They were the only way to go from floor zero to below. She looked to Remus and with a nod they both pointed their wands to the lift doors and, without speaking a word, blasted the doors right from where they were fused. Both of them instinctually hit the floor hard, shield charms or no, as bits of door flew back and pinged off the back of the shattered lift shaft to hurtle towards them.

Almost instantly Remus sprang from the ground and ran forward before, without hesitation, he leapt down the now uncovered lift shaft. She followed him, taking a deep breath and allowing herself to fall as the air whipped strands of her partially knotted back hair wildly around her face. She looked down, watching as suddenly the bottomless pit gained a bottom, and then at the last moment engaged the last spell her father had ever taught her. Instantly her form dematerialised – as it would if she were Apparating – and shot up a few feet before allowing her control over her movements. Once she was sure she had her bearings she allowed herself to gently drift downwards, like a floating leaf, before regaining her form and touching her feet to the ground. As soon as she did so she staggered slightly; the spell was a difficult one and she could feel that the energy sapped from her was no small amount. However Remus, also with a fine sheen of sweat upon his brow, handed her a piece of chocolate that he had secreted about himself specifically for after the use of the spell, and she chomped on it thankfully as he himself shoved some in his mouth.

A crash above and, high up where she knew they had entered the elevator shaft, a flurry of red sparks, caused them to linger no longer. Steeling herself Ana took Remus' outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her forwards. They carefully avoided the pieces of lift that were lining the ground of the shaft before, with a little less ease than previously, blowing out their second set of doors of the evening. They passed out into the Department of Mysteries just as Ana heard a harsh voice yell something far above. Either the Order had been pressed back by the Death Eater onslaught or…

They were faced with the twelve handle-less doors - that they had been expecting. Remus briefly barked out an order for the correct door to open, which it did, before striding through; with her still hanging onto his hand, and leading them into the Time Chamber.

For a moment after the door had swung shut behind them there was no sound except the ticking of the hundreds of clocks lining the walls. Ana looked around, trying not to be distracted by the dancing lights surrounding them but nonetheless marvelling at their beauty. Remus looked to her and they exchanged a glance, his gaze firm but soft at the same time and hers… she could not tell what he could see in her eyes. There was so much in her heart she couldn't possibly say what it was he could see there.

It was when they took their first steps forward that the trap sprung.

Almost as soon as her foot touched the shimmering floor a great screech sounded all around them; deepening into a roar as it went on, and the bright lights in the room seemed to almost tremble at what was coming. Ana looked to Remus, who seemed to know what he was up against and was standing stiffly in anticipation, before looking forward once again; her eyes searching for whatever it was that was…

A great fiery monster swelled up from every gap, every crevice of the room, filling up the air and seemingly cutting it off completely. Her hand twitched towards her wand, safely stowed away for now, but she stayed her movements – Remus had told her of the test. Magic of an offensive kind could not be used in the Time Chamber. It had something to do with Time not been susceptible to the perils of mortality only a benefactor of them…but Ana didn't truly understand the concept though Remus had assured her that he did. The solution the Dark Lord had put in place was a clever one; bait those who entered to use magic – if they were not supposed to be there they would not know of the Chamber's nature and then…well Ana didn't know what happened them if they used a curse in the Time Chamber but she knew that it was not good. Remus squeezed her hand, an encouragement as good as any, as the fiery beast – part Minotaur and part dragon form in her eyes – reared up and swirled around them. However after a long, terrifying moment the beast seemed to back away; fading into the ticking and the bright lights once again.

"Alright," Remus murmured his voice heavy as he took a deep, steadying breath, "That's the entrance test. The Chamber thinks we have permission to be here. Now all we…"

A bang, which sounded far off but in actuality was probably much closer than they thought, rang throughout the room.

"Go on; the Time Turner should be hidden within the clock with no face. You find it and I'll shield the door as best I can. It won't hold long, Ana, so hurry!"

She hurried away, looking at all of the dozens of clocks as she did so, scrutinising the faces of each one as she went. They were all so different; some sat upon the ground and stood taller and broader than her, some were mounted upon the walls, some had faces without numbers, some were inscribed with so much tiny script she thought it would take days to pick out all the words, others had painted faces with images of people and places depicted…yet she could not see any without a face. Coming to the end of the Chamber she shuddered slightly as she saw the Bell Jar; Remus had told her to keep away from it and after he had explained why she had no problem with obeying his order.

A quick look to where Remus was desperately casting in the half-light, his wand slicing through the air faster than her eyes could track, told her she was running out of time. An ominous cracking sound – no doubt the door buckling under all the magical pressure it was being put under, further added to her fear. Yet she still could not see…

If she had not been looking for it then it would never have caught her eye. A grandmother clock; mid height compared to many of the others but not by any means small, standing a little in the shadow of a rather intricate and imposing grandfather clock with numerals painted in what she vaguely thought looked like the language of the centaurs. The grandmother clock's face was entirely bare; just a grey expanse upon an oaken frame.

She wove her way towards it , noting that it was stood right next to a well concealed panelled doorway, and shouted back to Remus;

"Plain Oak, no face; medium height…" hoping her would verify she had found the right clock.

"Open the chamber!" he shouted back, his voice sounding strained.

She knelt at its foot and gently turned the tiny golden key which was in place in the lock. The gold looked worn and she would guess that the clock itself was centuries old. As she turned it she felt the lock give. Hesitantly she opened the chamber, finding inside several compartments. In the centre a pendulum lay still; however as soon as her hand reached inside to try one of the chambers the thing sprang to life – swiftly sweeping from side to side with enough speed and force to take off a finger if one were to be clumsy with one's fingers. Almost as soon as it swung fully for the first time thin silver blades slipped out of each side and ran the length of the pendulum's body– making it impossible for one to stop the pendulum by hand.

"The pendulum's swinging and there's lots of chambers…" she called back helplessly, not sure what to do as neither of them had known what would be waiting in store for them once they found the clock where the last Time Turner lay. It had been hoped the Order would have held the Death Eaters off longer…

A crash and a yell from Remus told her that his defensive spells were on the brink of collapsing – she was on her own.

She watched the pendulum swing, trying to gauge the time, but knowing as she did so that it was now going too fast for her to reach in without it…her mind shied away from the thought of losing digits or limbs in order to gain the Time Turner. There had to be a way.

The chambers, fourteen in total, were all small and all but identical running three, two, three, two, three and one in number down the clock's body. The only difference in any of them was the miniature symbol engraved into the space between the base and the handle of each tiny compartment. Leaning in closely as carefully as she could, and ignoring the ever louder crashes coming from Remus' struggle to keep the door to the chamber closed, she looked at the carvings. There were all of letters; Y, W, T, H, O, N, E, R, H, L, T, O, H, Y were printed – one on each. All of the styling's were identical, only the letter itself was different. Ana was baffled – she could not begin to imagine what the letters corresponded to, if they corresponded to anything.

"ANA!" yelled Remus from the front of the room.

"I can't!" she cried back in reply, her hands shaking worse than ever now as she began to panic, "There are letters on the chambers but I don't know what they mean and…"

A massive bang, accompanied by the sound of cracking and splintering wood cut her off followed by a thump and then booted footsteps. She heard nothing but the ticking of the clocks and her own breathing for a moment before…

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" the maniacal grating of the tone sent a shivering terror crawling over Ana's skin. She would know that voice anywhere. It belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange.

Ana clenched her fists and desperately looked back to the clock. The pendulum was still swinging, the blades shimmering and the chambers looking back at her. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought. Which letter could it be? How could she…?

"The dog brought a wolf to play. I had thought killing one animal today was all the satisfaction I would get…"

Ana's heart went cold as Bellatrix's words broke through her thoughts. Killed one…? Then she had killed Sirius. She was going to kill Remus. She had killed Sirius…the pain accompanying the thought was almost physical it was so intense. Sirius…

"Don't you want to play ball, wolfy wolf?" mocked Bellatrix, "Don't you want to fetch the little bat you brought in with you?"

Bellatrix knew she was there.

Ana looked at the clock again. There was no way to try the chambers without stopping the pendulum. She bit her lip. Sirius was dead; they were all dead. They had died so she could get the Time Turner. Going back was the only way to save them, a little pain to save them all…

She reached out and quickly grasped the pendulum, stifling a yelp as the blades cut deep into her flesh. However instead of slicing clean through her hand the pendulum merely stopped swinging as soon as it met her skin. Ana marvelled, even as blood dripped from the cuts onto the chamber floor…blood. That was it! Time needed a sacrifice to…she blinked and then blinked again. For the letters of the small chambers, which had so recently been a jumbled assortment of nothings, now seemed to make sense. The one who had hidden the Time Turner all those years ago had done it well. The words had changed place and now, reading across, Ana read;

Only the worthy.

Almost as soon as her mind had finished reading the last letter she felt the pendulum shift in her hand. It morphed, as she fought the urge to draw away from it, and contorted into a much smaller shape, detaching from the clock…something so small her bloodied hand encased it completely.

"Come on wolfy – come and watch my dogs hunt."

Bellatrix began to laugh, softly at first and then cackling madly as Ana heard the sounds of heavy footsteps, several sets, permeate through the ticking of the room. She clenched her fist tightly around the small object now in her palm and knew then what she had to do. Rising slowly to her feet Ana stepped out from the shadows. Her wand was stuffed once again into her holster on her thigh; touching her skin in order to ensure the spell would work.

There in the open she saw Remus was lying upon the floor; Bellatrix's booted foot on his cheek, her wand pointed at his heart. Around her seven burly Death Eaters, some of which Ana recognised and some of which she didn't, were hulking towards her.

"Ah…little bat come from the darkness…" Bellatrix breathed, her mad cackling replaced by something far more repulsive. Ana knew in her heart that Lestrange was gearing up for a kill.

Ana squeezed the object in her hand even more tightly, ignoring the pain as the cuts burned, and, taking in a deep breath, began to chant;

"…quis quondam eram volatilis planto annus porro vado …"

"Games don't work here, little girl!" exclaimed Bellatrix; the glee audible in her screeching voice as she bated. However Ana did not listen – her mind was entirely fixed upon the words Dumbledore had taught her.

"…planto vicis animadverto haud seam ut existence - Animadverto mei ut fixed in quis eram quondam tendo take mihi tergum…"

"Wait…no…stop her; STOP HER!" Bellatrix had understood, finally, what Ana was saying and she finally took the chance, opening her hand and looking down to see the small, bloodied Time Turner at the centre of her palm. She hurriedly began turning the device, her fingers slippery with her own blood, still chanting the words,

"…undeviginti nonaginta six june …"

A bright flash, followed by a blood curdling scream, signalled that one of the desperate Death Eaters had tried to use offensive magic within the Time Chamber. She turned it the eighth time and bit her lip as her cuts stung blindingly. However the others were not as dense as their brother and began racing forwards on foot. Even as they approached Ana saw the Time Turner begin to glow slightly in her hand as the magic took hold.

"…eptumdecim dies…"

They were almost upon her now and she had no way to defend herself; her hands were occupied working the Time Turner. Blurting out the last words as quickly as she could she turned the final three and a sixth turns and shouted in pure desperation,

"…planto mihi unus!"

She heard Bellatrix Lestrange scream something piercingly and Ana looked up as the woman kicked Remus in the face and started forward herself. However she was far too late. Ana could already feel the magic surrounding her; drawing not from her but from the mystic energy surrounding the Time Chamber. The world attained a golden glow as Lestrange dove forward; her fellow Death Eaters backing away – some even racing out of the Time Chamber all together, as Ana felt compelled the close her eyes and let the golden light take her completely.

Almost instantly she felt the world shift. The ground felt different beneath her feet, her breath sounded different; not echoing slightly as it seemed to be before, she couldn't smell the old wood of the clocks or hear the Death Eaters or the ticking…taking a risk, as she had taken so many already, Ana Harte slowly opened her eyes.

It was with a start that she realised she was in Grimmauld Place.


	7. Grimmauld Place

**We will reach the Ministry (again - this time circa '96) in the next update and see how Ana's presence changes the battle within the Dept of Mysteries! Might be a couple of days until I can update again - RL getting in the way and all that - so hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading! **

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><p><strong>Grimmauld Place (June 1996)<strong>

Almost at precisely the same time as the realisation of where she was came to her Ana let out a yelp as a sudden pain struck her and, opening her tightly clenched fist, dropped the Time Turner on the ground. It was burning hot; as Remus had told her it would be, and the heat had only further pained her sliced palm. It hit the parquet, her blood splashing down to join it, with a clatter.

Immediately the door at the end of the hall was flung open and a figure appeared; wand raised and pointed straight at her. She would know him anywhere; especially perhaps silhouetted in the gloom of Grimmauld Place. Though he looked younger; there were fewer lines around his startling grey eyes and more black than grey in his hair, he was less gaunt than he had eventually become – less weary of the world and yet at the same time just as haunted. She could see it all in him, she knew him well enough to, but of course he did not…

"Who are you?" he barked, striding over to her in a few quick steps and pinning her against the wall with his wand at her throat. She said nothing for a long moment, simply looking at him as the realisation sunk in that she had done it – she had gone back and now she could fix everything. She could do what He could not, what the Order could not…she could change the entire world and make sure that Sirius would not die...

"Answer me girl! Who are you, how did you get in here? Did someone let you in? Did someone tell you the address? TELL ME!" his bark was as feral as ever it was when he was in a temper and it was only when she saw the murderous glint in his eye that she realised this was not pretend. This was not the Sirius Black she knew, the Sirius Black who would have done anything for her, this was another man entirely. Another man who did not know her and would, if he felt the need, do her harm.

"I'm…" she paused; wondering just what to say. The truth was incredible, maybe too incredible, and yet to lie now could ruin everything. If she were to lie and he were to find out her deception he might think her a Death Eater or an enemy and kill her anyway. He might…

"I won't ask a third time…" he growled, his breath hot on her face.

Her mind was racing, her heart telling her he wouldn't hurt her and yet her mind reminding her that he would, panic beginning to take hold as she realised they had never truly though about what would happen when she reached the past beyond the whole saving Potter thing…

"My name is Ana Harte," she finally murmured looking into eyes she knew well and seeing no recognition there at all, "I am twenty three years old and I have come from the future to save the life of Harry Potter."

There was a lengthy pause in which she could see Sirius trying to make sense of her words, trying to ascertain whether it was lies she told or truths, searching for deception. She kept her gaze level, as level as she could, and simply waited. Sirius was not one for grand speeches and so neither was she – direct explanations in simple terms were the best way to earn his trust.

"If that's true then when do you come from?" he asked finally, his left arm still pinning her to the wall; elbow to wrist running along her collarbone, whilst his right hand was wielding the wand.

"The year twenty twenty two – twenty six years from now."

She saw his brows shoot up as he kept his eyes on hers, still searching for lies,

"That's not possible – no one can travel that far…" he scoffed.

"I did; I have. I travelled twenty six years in time to save Harry Potter." she watched his forehead furrow slightly; ah, there were the lines she had found missing earlier – hidden for now but soon they would…

"Harry?" he asked brusquely, "Save Harry from what? What's going to happen?"

This, she realised, would not be easy.

"In my timeline Harry Potter died aged fifteen on the…" she began in as even a tone as she could; however he interrupted her before she could go any further.

"He's fifteen now and he's fine." Sirius grated out.

"Not for long," she countered, "On the eighteenth of June nineteen ninety six he is going to go to the Department of Mysteries and he is going to walk right into the Dark Lord's arms. He is going to die there and with his death will end all hope of ever overthrowing Him. The world will sink into darkness; which is why I have to stop Potter from being killed."

Sirius was staring at her, still looking disbelieving and yet she saw the doubt; the tiny fleck of wonder settling in as he tried to convince himself she wasn't telling the truth when, she knew, a part of him thought she could surely not be lying.

"How do I know you're not a Death Eater sent here to kill me? You call Voldemort the Dark Lord – only Death Eaters do that."

"In my time," she explained patiently, "His name is cursed; those who speak it are taken by Snatchers to Azkaban for crimes against Him."

"Snatchers?" Sirius queried.

"Rubbish Death Eaters," she clarified, "Those not worthy of the higher ranks but useful for brute work nonetheless. They're the ones with brawn and not brains you could say."

Another pause, this one longer, stretched between them. Her hand was throbbing and the pressure he was putting on her collar bone was beginning to hurt almost as much but she didn't say anything. She needed to tread carefully.

"How did you get in here?" he asked slowly, his wand twitching closer to her face.

"I was given the address by a Secret Keeper." she replied truthfully.

"Dumbledore gave you…?" he began.

"No," she cut him off, "Not Dumbledore. In my time Dumbledore relinquished Secret Keeper status when the Da…Voldemort rose up. He had to go into hiding; our final figurehead could not be killed by Death Eaters in some messy brawl. So another took up the task."

"Who?"

"It was you," she could not keep the faint fond smile from her face, "You told me the address when I was ten and when I came of age you made me a Secret Keeper along with you - as a sign of trust you said."

His brow furrowed further as he looked at her. The pause was so long she wondered whether he had forgotten what was happening, had wandered off into his own brand of thought, until he asked quietly,

"I exist in your…time?" his voice was tentative; still disbelieving.

"You do," she answered, "You're one of the Order's leading members. I've known you most of my life; near on all of it truth be told. I saw you not…an hour ago…"

"Well then this just became very simple," he intoned, his voice taking on a hard edge as he cut her off, "All you have to do is convince me that you know me. Go on; convince me."

She hesitated; seeing the hard look on his face and knowing that if she faltered now all would be lost. He would kill her if he thought her a spy, though the idea of Sirius killing her still seemed like a bad joke, and then she would never be able to save him…

"Your name is Sirius Black the third, father Orion and mother Walburga, your brother Regulus died when he was just eighteen; he was a Death Eater for a little while. You lived in Grimmauld Place until you were sixteen at which stage you moved out to live with the family of James Potter…"

"This is stuff anyone could say about me; I've been in the Prophet enough – which means you're a liar and…" he raised his wand and opened his mouth.

"…alright, ALRIGHT!" she exclaimed. "At the Potters you got into Muggle fiction; you loved The Catcher in the Rye – it's your favourite book, Tolkien too, you love Tolkien, I bought you a specially bound edition of the Hobbit for your fiftieth birthday…you hate onions! You hate onions and when I asked you why you said it was because you objected to any vegetable that had the power to make you cry. I know it's the smell you hate though; you don't really mind the taste all that much if they're well cooked. Your nickname is Padfoot though you also went by Snuffles for a while which I said was really stupid and you agreed but it was safe. Another thing you hate the taste of; Firewhisky – but you drink it by the bottle if I don't lock it up when you're in one of your dark moods. Once I found you slumped in the pantry cuddling a carrot you'd enlarged using an engorgement charm; you denied it the next day but I'll never forget the sight. You…"

She stopped and was almost ashamed to feel the burning in her eyes and the first drops of tears falling onto her cheeks. She took in a deep, shaky breath and half smiled; watching as he watched her and barely able to see his expression through her blurred vision,

"…you are the best man I have ever known and I would have done anything to protect you."

She broke eye contact and sniffed as she stared along the hall to the covered frame which sat there. She could only hear her own sniffling and Sirius' breathing in the quiet hallway. For a long moment neither of them spoke until, finally, Sirius hoarsely murmured,

"You're telling the truth?" it sounded like a question but she knew it was not.

"I am," she whispered in reply. "But if you don't believe me then there is one way to be sure; one way to put aside all your doubts."

She looked back to him, noticing for the first time that the weight applied to her collarbone had lessened significantly, and he watched her expectantly – waiting for an answer.

"You could always ask your mother."

He looked down the hall, where her eyes had earlier fallen, and took in a sharp breath through his teeth. He looked at her, then back at the portrait, and finally back to her again.

"We've been making a fair bit of noise; should have woken her up, shouldn't it? But it hasn't – she hasn't made a sound. Did you not wonder why? It's because she knows exactly who I am and she knows what will happen to her if she crosses me – don't you, Mrs Black?"

There was a shuffling noise from the end of the hall and the quietest muttering of,

"Dirty half-blood." spoken almost under the breath carried down to where they stood.

"Quite so," Ana agreed, "My status is indeed half blood – though as for cleanliness, well, I am no true judge."

She looked back to Sirius, who was staring at her with incredulity now, before Ana decided that if she was going to take her chance she had better do it fast;

"Do you remember me, Mrs Black? Do you remember, however faintly, what happened when you called me what you did all that time ago…or time to come I suppose now."

There was a pause, which Ana thought was filled with dark foreboding, before another mutter could be heard from where the portrait hung,

"Flames and screams and…half-blood Harte; Princess Harte, murderess Harte…"

"Answer the question you old bitch!" called Sirius harshly, "Who is she?"

"NO SON OF MINE!" screamed the portrait suddenly, "NO SON OF MINE! BLOOD TRAITOR!"

"Mrs Black!" exclaimed Ana, her voice carrying over the hysterical screeching, "Mrs Black you will stop that at once and answer Sirius' question or I shall be forced to extract an answer."

Immediately the screaming ceased and all they heard for a long moment was harsh breathing. Then, finally, the rasping voice ground out;

"Ana Harte; traitor son's lovely one, his precious one, the one he doted upon – don't talk to her like that, don't look at her like that!" Mrs Black's muttering quietened into an inaudible state.

Sirius and Ana both turned to face one another at exactly the same moment.

"How…?" he began.

"Portrait magic is…complicated. They're only an echo of the person they were but they always know what is happening in front of their frames. I didn't know for definite until I asked her just now but it seems my transfer from one time to another has also been captured by her portrait; she remembers the other time I was in – from the portrait there. You see my travelling is fixed; I've not just travelled in time I've transplanted myself from the future to the past. It seems some part of Mrs Black's echo remembers that time; remembers me and...well we didn't have the most congenial of friendships."

He gave her an incredulous look for a moment before blurting out,

"That makes no sense at all."

She smiled a crooked smile and answered,

"Nope; none at all – but it is the truth. I am telling you the truth Sirius. I am who I say I am and I know that this is so hard for you to understand but…"

She stopped as a voice echoed through the house. It was shouting out in a cold, slightly nasal tone and Ana felt herself shiver slightly as it cut right through her; she knew that voice.

"Bloody hell what does he want?" Sirius murmured to himself, looking to her before seemingly making a decision and pulling away. She heaved a sigh of relief as she was once again given space to move and breathe.

"This isn't over; this conversation – all of it. I still want answers. You have a wand?"

She reached down slightly and pulled aside the slit in her dress. She leaned further down for her wand only for him to whip a hand out and grab her wrist; stopping her.

"I'll take it." he snapped.

He released her wrist and used the now free hand to take the wand from the holster on her thigh. She looked up as he did so and saw that there was a slight flush on his cheeks…no – no way. Sirius Black could not be blushing at the sight of her legs! Yet this was not the Sirius who had seen her in her nightclothes and Merlin knows what little else hundreds of times before. This was a different man, she reminded herself; not her Sirius at all. Not yet.

"What are those?" he asked, gesturing to the knives resting alongside the wand holster.

"Cursed daggers," she answered, "You can take them too; if you want."

"You undo the strap." he replied, averting his eyes and she further separated her dress and untied the leather; holding out the strip on which they were attached. He took them without a word and then gestured for her to move.

"You know this place, or so you say, head for the kitchen – we have a caller it seems."

She knew his wand was pointed at her back and so she made her movements fluid but not quick. She walked sedately to the kitchen, opening the door carefully and, after quickly making sure no one else was physically there, looking towards the fire place.

There a face sat in the flames; a dark disembodied head dancing around and looking at her like she was a creature who had just crawled from the deep.

"What in…who are you?" he asked, his cold voice becoming more nasal as he spoke with anger in his tone.

"She's with me," Sirius replied, sauntering in behind her with his signature boyhood stroll in full swing, "Now what in the name of Merlin's balls are you doing in my fireplace Snivellus?"


	8. The Department of Mysteries

**The Department of Mysteries (June 1996)**

She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"You will speak to me with respect, Black…" Snape's voice had taken on that low, dangerous quality which it did only when he was talking to someone he particularly loathed…which was, in all fairness, a common occurrence.

"Respect? You're not MY Professor; greasy, I don't need to take orders from you…"

"Merlin above you two never change!" she exclaimed. They both looked at her; the disembodied head and the man perfectly turning in unison.

"Who is she?" Snape asked once again, still watching her as he spoke.

"Says she's from twenty years in the future;" Snape snorted with some kind of suppressed sarcastic humour which Sirius entirely ignored, "Says she's come back to save Harry – that he's going to go into the Department of Mysteries and he's going to die which is bloody stupid because…"

"What?" Snape exclaimed; looking to Ana and, just for a moment, appearing to be knocked off his guard – not such a common occurrence.

"I said, if you bothered to move that…mop, from before your ears and listen to what I…"

"The Department of Mysteries – you know Potter has gone to the Ministry?" Snape cut off Sirius swiftly, pinning her with his black gaze. She met his eyes with her own, knowing he would see a similar darkness staring back at him, and answered,

"He'll go to the Department of Mysteries thinking that Sirius is being held captive there, which he is obviously not as he is too busy acting like…wait. If you know then…oh Merlin, oh no – he's not there? Tell me he isn't already…"

"Potter left with Umbridge for the Forbidden Forest some time ago; I am reliably informed that he believed Black to be captured by the Dark Lord and imprisoned within the Ministry and I am sure that Potter certainly plans on attempting to retrieve Black…"

"STOP!" Sirius exclaimed, his voice carrying over Snape's. "You mean HE WENT? YOU LET HIM LEAVE? YOU BLOODY IDIOT – BY MERLIN, SNIVELLUS, IF ANYTHING…"

"Sirius shut up!" Ana exclaimed; receiving no recognition of her words other than a dark look. Instead he was focusing entirely upon Snape's head, still resting in the fireplace, though the pale skin was much more furrowed with lines of anger now and he had moved around so that a few loose strands of hair fell limply into his eyes.

"I did not LET Potter do anything; the headmistress took him and Granger out into the Forbidden Forest in order to…"

"SHE WHAT?" exclaimed Sirius again. Ana ground her teeth. It seemed that action was going to be required.

"She has supreme power within this school and if I had any hope of maintaining my position I was obliged entirely to allow her to…"

"STOP," Ana levelled her wand directly at Sirius's heart. Instantly he froze; looking furiously from the wand to his own hand, which until half a second before had held the wand she was now brandishing. For his part she could feel Snape's obsidian gaze bearing down on her; there was almost a challenge there. Daring her to do what he could not. Unfortunately for him Snape had chosen entirely the wrong killer to pin his hopes concerning Sirius' Black's demise on. She had no intention of hurting him…only of making him listen.

"Potter is in the Ministry, or at least en route as we speak, and you two are arguing about whose fault it is. FUCK whose fault it is; we're already two steps behind where we should be. Snape; how long since Potter left?"

There was a pause in which Ana clenched her free fist, ignoring the shaking which had already begun thanks to the pressure of the situation, and cursed the way the entire endeavour was going. If she didn't get some answers out of them soon then the whole thing would have been for nothing…

"They went into the forest less than an hour past." Snape suddenly replied. She felt Sirius stiffen at the words; no doubt he resented Snape co-operating with the woman currently holding a wand to his heart.

"Right – so if they went by broom, which they must have, then they'll be almost there now...no, they will probably already be there is Potter thinks Sirius is…Merlin…yes – Snape you alert any of the Order who are within the Ministry's employ. Sirius and I will deal with seeking out any others and we'll go to the Ministry…"

"We?" Sirius muttered, "You think I'm going anywhere with you? You're threatening me and you except me to…"

"You want to save Potter's life? Yes? Then trust me, Sirius, I am your only hope right now of making sure Harry Potter lives out the night and Merlin knows I've done everything I could to get this far. I'm not about to let him slip through my fingers. I want Potter alive and well – that should be guarantee enough for you."

"Who are you?" Snape asked again, his voice still holding a world of suspicion.

"My name is Ana Harte; I'm a member of the Order of the Phoenix, born November nineteen ninety nine and, at present, the person who has travelled the furthest distance through time by about twenty six years. I am good with a wand and I want Potter to live past this night. We share common goals. Let me help you and then you can interrogate the life out of me later. Right now there is no time for questions and answers."

A silence fell as a deadlock seemed to form. Then Snape said into the quiet,

"I shall inform Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. If you feel the need to slaughter Black, please, do not suppress it."

There was a whooshing sound before Snape's head vanished from the fireplace in a puff of green smoke. She met Sirius' eyes levelly and murmured finally,

"Well? Are we going to save the Boy Who Lived or not?"

Slowly Sirius nodded. She saw the guarded truce clearly in his gaze and lowered her wand, watching him as she did so, before gently placing it on the kitchen table and taking a step away. What she had forgotten in the course of a lifetime being rewritten was that Sirius Black was, and always had been, a very good liar.

His wand was out and swiping through the air before she could react. Instantly bonds appeared and wove themselves around her; pinning her arms to her sides and drawing her legs together so that she fell hard on the kitchen floor, crying out as the jolt bruised body and limbs. He stood over her, his wand pointed directly at her face, and for one terrible moment she thought he was actually going to kill her. However after a long pause he lowered the wand and murmured,

"You will remain here until I return. I'll get Harry, I'll fetch the Order and we will find out just what in Merlin's name you're doing here. Until then," he flicked his wand and she felt the bonds tighten to painful levels, "You will not leave this house - that much I can promise you."

"Don't do this," she pleaded, swivelling her neck painfully as he walked past her and headed for the door, "By all that's…Sirius if you do this you're effectively KILLING that boy! Don't you DARE walk away…SIRIUS BLACK!"

Her words found only the slamming of the kitchen door as he departed the room.

She lay there for a moment, her face pressed against the cold floor, wondering whether it was really over. Whether she was going to let Harry Potter die whilst she lay on the kitchen floor tied up, by Sirius of all people, and did nothing. No; she couldn't do that. Sirius had died so that she could do this; she would NOT let his younger self make that sacrifice worthless. All the lives that had been given had to amount to something.

She wriggled desperately, trying to ascertain what kind of spell he'd used for the ropes. She was all but sure she knew the enchantment; a simple one and not particularly complex…if she only had her wand. Simple counter spells were still too much for her without a wand in hand. However there was one spell that she had perfected over several long months and could perform, as she had before proved, with wandless magic. Sirius' voice drifting from another part of the house, and one she recognised as Remus' responding – no doubt from another fireplace, forced her into action. Soon Sirius would be leaving for the Ministry and she had to get out of the house if she didn't want to let the battle start without her.

Closing her eyes she extended her hand as much as she cold, clenching and unclenching her fist as she concentrated, before whispering,

"Accio wand."

Almost immediately she heard a sound, rolling of wood on wood, from the table. However, like within Azkaban, her first attempt was a dud. Taking a deep, slightly shaky, breath she tried again, her voice a little stronger this time.

"Accio wand."

There was more rolling followed by a disconcertingly loud clatter. She froze for a moment but the house was silent. Did that mean Sirius had already left? She bit her lip and wriggled around, swivelling on the floor in order to find just where her wand had fallen. It lay next to the table leg; thankfully undamaged by the drop, and she reached out her hand; directing her palm straight at the wood, before murmuring one final time,

"Accio wand."

This time she was successful – it rolled straight into her grasp. She swiftly muttered a counter enchantment and the bonds holding her loosened to nothing. She stripped them off, pulling aside the rope as she stumbled to her feet, and winced as she heard a loud crack coming from what she was sure was the entrance to the house. Sirius had Disapparated.

Ana hurriedly swept up her knives, the belt lying forgotten by Sirius on the kitchen table, and strapped the leather to her thigh before racing over to the kitchen door, flinging it open and tripping out into the hallway. She practically flew down its length, opening the front door of Grimmauld Place and, balancing precariously on the front step, closing it before spinning neatly on the spot, and with closed eyes, focusing with everything she had on the one place she needed to be more than anywhere else. There was a loud crack and she felt herself being pressured for a half second by the familiar squeezing of Apparition…before as suddenly as it began the squeezing stopped.

She opened her eyes just in time to duck a green jet of light heading straight for her.

She was crouched on a hill of rock in the centre of a stone chamber. Behind her she knew lay the Veil and all around the rocky hillock were Death Eaters, Order members and children engaged in battle. Instantly her mind engaged in the mode she had found more and more comfortable as the years went by – the mode in which she killed without mercy.

Rising up swiftly she spotted a silver masked Death Eater and flung a killing curse straight at him; it hit perfectly but she did not watch to see him finish falling. Tossing her skirts aside with a shift of her leg she whipped out a knife from her holder and threw it across the room at a man who was throwing spells just past her…to where Sirius and Harry Potter were crouched beside the Veil. He tried to deflect it with a shield charm but the dagger flew artfully through it, taking no heed – obviously the fool had never come across a cursed dagger before. No spell could deflect their course once thrown. She cast a fleeting shield charm as a red beam of light flew towards her before countering the attacker with a counter curse. Her would be attacker hit the ground hard; though she knew it was not a kill and whoever he or she was would not be down for long.

Ana saw, from the corner of her eye, a blast of green jetting towards her form and, barely with thought, bent backwards with alarming speed – allowing the spell to pass harmlessly a few inches above her chest. She whirled around without hesitation as soon as the spell was past and, deflecting yet another curse from another side of the room, floored the one who had tried to kill her. She looked over to Potter and Sirius, who had now moved out into the open, and began to make her way over to them; deflecting a curse which was bound for Nymphadora Tonks as she went. She felt her stomach knot as she saw Lucius Malfoy and another had darted towards Sirius and were even now trying to curse him and Potter into oblivion.

She swept her wand across her chest in a quick motion, countering yet another curse aimed at her, and almost carelessly whipped yet another dagger from her thigh and threw it. She barely registered the blade embedding deeply in the attacking man's forehead. She had eyes only for Sirius and Potter. With barely a moment's breath she swirled round in a perfect circle and Apparated directly behind the unknown man who was joined with Malfoy in trying to kill Sirius and the boy. Grasping the hair of the man she tugged his neck back so that it was exposed and, swiftly sweeping out her last dagger, she pulled the blade across the man's throat in a smooth motion. As soon as she released his hair he fell forwards, blood spurting from the wound; obviously dead.

Malfoy's attention turned to her and it was all the time Sirius needed to, along with Potter, disarm Malfoy of both of his wands and send him flying across the room. However their actions had not gone unnoticed. Just as her eyes were about to meet Sirius', and she heard him begin to yell something at her she could not hear, a flash to their right caught her attention. Upon a raised area Bellatrix Lestrange appeared; her mad eyes as wild and dark as ever and her wand raised. Almost before she spoke the words Ana saw the wand, directed perfectly at Sirius, and heard the spell being spoken.

"AVADA KEDAVRDA!" Lestrange screeched.

Ana acted without thought; there was no time for thinking. Her body propelled her forwards, knocking Sirius out of the way of the spell. She felt something burning her leg as she landed heavily on top of Sirius, knocking the Potter boy flying off the raised area as they went. They rolled down after him, gravity taking them, and all three landed in a messy heap at the bottom.

For half a second hers and Sirius' eyes met. She saw him looking at her, knowing she had just saved his life, and the expression there reminded her of a time that was gone. For a moment it was almost as though she were back in her own time…except it wasn't because now he looked so young; grey eyes bright with the reflection of the curses flying overhead…

She dragged herself up as instantly all the sound seemed to re-enter the chamber and she remembered with a jolt that they were in the middle of a battle. Potter was gabbling at her side, asking Sirius if he was alright, and she scrabbled down to her calf to see the damage. The spell had not hit her, if it had she would be dead, but it had caught her dress and set it to flames. Cursing as the fire burned away at the material and scorched her flesh she quickly used a spell to put the flames out and then rose in a spin, Apparating to the place in front of the Veil where they had just fallen.

No time had passed, not really, Lestrange was still there – fire in her eyes as she tried to curse some little blonde girl who was weaving in and out of the stones below. Ana threw a curse at the bitch, watching her deflect it easily before turning her eyes on her attacker. Two pairs of black eyes interlocked and Ana saw the savage joy that entered the woman's face at the thought of another kill. She raised her wand and set a powerful stream of jet green speeding towards her. Ana fell to the floor, falling into a low crouch as she felt the killing curse pass above her head, and sent her own curse scything through the air towards Lestrange.

The woman deflected the curse and sent another towards Ana; this time one she had not the chance to try and identify. She whirled to the side, Apparating swiftly and yet not quite swiftly enough as a cutting sensation scalded her cheek. She grunted in pain as she came to stand half a metre from where she had originally Apparated from and, tasting blood running down her face, she felt the bloodlust enter her veins. No one marked her and went unpunished.

She sent three curses, one after another, flying towards Lestrange. The first she deflected easily; the second, a killing curse, she dodged with a little less ease and the last – Ana's favourite; a severing charm of particular force, came within half an inch of connecting. Ana swept heavily to the side as Lestrange retaliated; her own curses powerful and yet not precisely aimed enough, and Ana took another half step to the right to finally come to the place she had been aiming for. Stooping fluidly she swept a hand downwards and plucked the knife which she had so recently thrown into the chest of a Death Eater from his still warm body. She then, using a shield charm as Lestrange threw some form of slicing charm at her, pulled back her arm and threw the dagger with all her might; aiming for Lestrange's heart. The dagger whistled through the air, slicing though the spells Lestrange tried to use to stop its progress, before finally finding itself a home. Unfortunately she was, despite her madness, an excellent duellist. Lestrange had leapt to the side at the last moment, beginning to Disapparate away, meaning the dagger embedded itself not in her heart but a few inches below her hip. Ana heard the yowl of pain the piercing blade caused with no little satisfaction. Lestrange yanked out the dagger and, throwing it on the floor, seemingly realised with a quick glance around the room that the battle was all but won, and swept in a neat circle to Disapparate; before she did so sending one last stream of green light towards she who had maimed her.

Ana fell into a crouch; her knees protesting as she hugged the ground, allowing once again for the light to pass above her, and then raised her head, flinging her long dark hair from her eyes as she looked around. All the other Death Eaters had, or were in the process of, Disapparating. She frowned; there were enough of them to make the battle go on – enough even for the possibility of winning if they fought well. So why then were they leaving? Unless…unless they had been given orders to go. Unless the one who had sent them had already achieved that which he needed to…

She rose swiftly and shouted out,

"Where's Potter?" the remaining Order members and students all looked at her, their eyes widening as they realised they did not any of them know who she was. Several raised their wands but she waved her hand and repeated,

"Where's Potter? I don't want to hurt him; where is he?"

"It's alright!" called a voice; she turned to see Sirius climbing wearily onto the mound upon which she stood and coming to a stop beside her, "She saved my life. She's not here to hurt us."

She looked at him for a moment, her chest tightening momentarily as a flood of memories threatened to overwhelm her, before her mind refocused on the task of hand.

"Harry Potter?" she asked him urgently. He frowned and looked around, meeting worried stares from the other Order members.

"He was with me, when you were there, and then…" he stopped and she saw the look of panic invade his features, "Where's Harry?" Sirius asked. Ana closed her eyes, fear gripping her heart, as she realised that Potter was no longer in the chamber with them.

"He left to go after someone…he was chasing a Death Eater." piped up a small voice with an Irish lilt. Ana opened her eyes once again to see the blonde girl she had saved looking up at her. The child met her eyes and Ana nodded to the girl.

"Where?" she asked briskly.

"Out there," the girl pointed, "Towards the…"

"…Atrium." Ana finished. Without pausing to wait for the others she swirled around, feeling light headed as she did so for she had Apparated far too often in the last half an hour for the ill effects not to be present.

She reappeared in an Atrium which was very different to the one she knew. The figures of Muggles being crushed beneath the weight of wizards was replaced by the ruins of a golden water fountain. The floor all around was wet and covered in broken glass and off to the side a man lay amongst the rubble. At the centre of the maelstrom a figure was standing; darkly clad and bending over that of a boy…

Ana raised her wand, her hand shaking as she knew who it was, she knew who was stood there and that he would kill her before a spell could leave her wand, and prepared to die trying to defend the life of a fifteen year old child. However before she could act the fireplaces lining the walls sprung into flame and figures appeared; springing out and walking into the Atrium. All were sleepy headed but that instantly went when their eyes found the destruction and, finally, the figure of the most feared being in the entire wizarding world at its heart.

The black figure instantly faded to darkness and then to nothing; leaving the officials gaping. The man who had been lying to her right began to struggle to his feet; but now she only had eyes for the boy. Running over she skidded to the ground, ignoring the glass scraping her legs through the folds of her dress as she did so, and looked over into the face of the boy. He was pale white, his dark hair darker for the paleness of his face, and the scar on his forehead was bloody red.

For a moment all was silent as she bent close and placed her face above his. Then, lightly, she felt his breath upon her cheek. A flood of sweet relief ran through her as she pressed her wand tip to his chest and whispered, as her body was already so tired and wandless magic would probably mean the end of her energy,

"Enervate."

Harry Potter opened his eyes; green irises meeting her black, and she could not hold back the smile which broke at the sight. He was alive. Potter had lived through the battle of the Department of Mysteries; somehow he was still breathing. It was all going to be alright.

"Harry?" the shout came from behind her and she looked up to see Sirius skidding to a halt at her side. He fell to his knees and she looked to him, tears in her eyes, and breathed,

"He's alive."

Sirius' relief was palatable as he pulled Harry up into his arms and cradled him gently. A hand on her shoulder drew her away from the scene and she looked up to see the man who had been lying in the water and glass now stood looking down on her. She had never been so glad to be pinned by the blue gaze of Albus Dumbledore in all her life.

"I hear you have been very busy." he murmured.

Flashes began; blinding her momentarily, as a rabble of reporters came through the fireplaces and fled past the still gawping Minister for Magic as they photographed the scene; notorious convict Sirius Black cradling the Boy Who Lived whilst a mystery woman knelt at their side with Albus Dumbledore presiding over them all. She knew in that instant that she was going to have a lot of explaining to do.


	9. The Truth Will Out

**The Truth Will Out (June 1996)**

She took Dumbledore's outstretched hand and carefully pulled herself to her feet. Now that Harry Potter was safe and the immediate danger had passed her head swam; she had used far too much energy in that past battle. Her leg burned still, despite the fire long being put out, her hand throbbed from the cut it had received in the time chamber and…

"You should, I think, be removed to Hogwarts. I would suggest St. Mungo's but as you will not be registered there, or anywhere else for that matter, I dare say our own Madam Pomfrey can patch you up just as well. Then we might talk over your situation."

Dumbledore's calm, level tone made her smile weakly. It was so good to be stood with him; it had been three years or more since they had last been face to face and, even in this different time, he looked now different to how she remembered him.

"What about Potter?" she asked, looking to where Sirius was still cradling the boy and muttering a thousand things in one breath. She could clearly see how beloved Harry Potter was; it had been a long time since she had seen Sirius Black so genuinely happy.

"He may come with us; St. Mungo's will, I fear, by swathed in reporters and the last thing he needs is endless babbling questions at present. Sirius if you would…?"

Sirius looked up and nodded, pulling a still dazed looking Harry to his feet. He wrapped his arm tightly around the boy before, turning swiftly, disappearing from the Atrium with a crack. Ana looked to Dumbledore and murmured,

"I don't suppose you could help me along? I'm on my last legs I think."

The older man smiled and nodded serenely, offering his arm which she gripped gratefully. He turned smoothly and, after a moment of light headed pressure, they appeared at the gates of Hogwarts. She couldn't help but marvel as she looked at the old castle; perfectly intact and brimming from the inside with warm candlelight. She did not realise she had taken in a sharp breath until she felt eyes on her and noticed that not only Dumbledore but also Sirius and, though in a slightly unfocused way, Potter were looking at her.

"It looks different," she explained briefly, "Less…" she did not finish her sentence. She did not want to pollute their image of Hogwarts the way hers had been.

She saw Sirius' eyes slip downward and she followed them to her free hand; the one not still holding to the crook of Dumbledore's elbow. It was shaking violently; apparently Azkaban and the Cruciatus Curse had not been left behind her when she jumped through time. She abruptly squeezed the hand into a fist and looked up again to Sirius. He frowned at her slightly, as though about to say something, but she shook her head. It wasn't the time to explain. To her relief he did not press the matter; he merely shifted Harry's weight a little and made to proceed up to the gates. Standing there were three people; Madam Pomfrey whom Ana knew by sight but had never known personally as she had not attended Hogwarts, Minerva Mcgonagall who, like Dumbledore, looked to be the same formidable woman as she ever was and, at Minerva's side…

"Severus perhaps you could help along Miss Harte."

It was not a question.

Ana did not wonder as to how Dumbledore knew so much about her. It was, in her mind, obvious that Dumbledore should know things no one else did. It was his way; which made her wonder just whether he had any ulterior motives by pairing her with Snape. However it wasn't the time to explore such thoughts; she instead looked to the darkly clad potions professor, trying not to react in recognition as she looked at him, and saw his eyes narrow as he paused a moment before finally deigning to approach her. Obviously he was not fond of the idea of half dragging a girl up the driveway; which she couldn't blame him for in all honesty. However she obeyed Dumbledore's unspoken command and released the old man's arm in favour of taking Snape's. She tried not to look at him as he lent his support; though she couldn't ignore the smell of potions ingredients which clung to him. He smelled exactly the same as she remembered him smelling; a little like sage, a hint of Shrivelfig and the sharp tang of…

"Oh good you've brewed some Dittany." she blurted out before she had chance to stop herself. She felt his dark gaze swing around to her and she had no choice but to look up and meet it.

"Why would you surmise that?" he intoned; his deep voice rolling around the words. If he were not so persistently unpleasant she could quite enjoy hearing him talk. She had done, very rarely admittedly, in the past...or was that the future? The past, she reminded herself, it had to be the past now; he isn't the same man – that time was gone.

"I'm sorry," she immediately apologised despite knowing there was nothing to apologise for, "The smell's caught on your robes; that sort of sharp tang you get from Dittany…I suppose it's part of the flammable aspect…" she trailed off, cursing herself as she did so for not just shutting up when she had the chance.

"Yes," he answered, surprising her, "I had thought there would be injuries."

He said no more but she noted that Sirius, every so often, gave Snape dagger sharp looks from where he was supporting Harry just behind them. Poppy Pomfrey had all but ignored her; lathering all of her attention upon Harry. Ana didn't mind; Potter was the priority.

The climbed the castle steps, her practically dragging her damaged leg behind her as the burning pain became more and more intense the further she went, with Snape coolly observing as he lent her enough support to keep her moving but not enough to make the journey easy. She didn't truly know how she reached the hospital wing, she was sure at one stage Snape was acting as her walking stick as they negotiated the many staircases. Harry was being hefted along by Sirius who refused to levitate the boy – just as she would have refused being levitated if the option were given. She needed to remain strong; she needed for them to believe she was as powerful as she knew she could be.

Ana finally collapsed onto a bed at the far side of the wing, next to the one given to Potter, and Madam Pomfrey immediately fell into giving Harry various potions and treatments; muttering constantly with Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore merely smiled and announced he would return presently before striding away out the doors they had just come through. Sirius sat on a chair at Harry's side, holding one of his hands and muttering words of encouragement which were sometimes met with half replies from the boy himself. Snape lingered, watching over Potter for the first few minutes, before finally glancing over to her.

She had watched Harry too, at first, but finally her own pain had overcome her concern for him. She separated her skirts and hiked them up to survey the damage to her leg. The burning was severe; probably more severe than she had first thought, and she gritted her teeth as she was sure she could see yellow layers of fat peering through the red, scalded mess. It wasn't a large burn, fortunately, the size of her palm all told but painful all the same. She winced as she shifted her leg and removed her attention to her hand. The cut was still there, blood congealed and drying slightly now, and as with her leg it still bloody hurt.

"How did you come by this?"

Without her knowing it Snape had sidled up alongside the bed and was looking down on her wounded leg with the eyes of someone examining a squashed bug on a workbench.

"Fighting," she answered, "Courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange."

"If you challenged her then it was foolish and you are fortunate not to be more severely wounded than you are." he muttered without sympathy.

"The curse wasn't meant for me; it was supposed to be for Sirius. I pushed him out of the way; it caught my hemline - hence the cursed fire burning away my flesh."

She was still avoiding looking at him as much as possible. She didn't want him to realise that she knew him; she didn't want him to see the recognition there. Worse, perhaps, she didn't want him to feel the need to use Legilimency…

"Then you are more stupid than I thought; I would think someone allegedly from a future time would have known better concerning Bellatrix Lestrange," he sneered, "I take it Lestrange used a Killing Curse…?" Ana nodded wordlessly, "Then there is little I can do. The burn shall heal but the flames being cursed means you shall bear a scar which no magic can rid you of. Personally I would have sacrificed Black and kept the flesh on my leg intact…"

"I know you would," she answered plainly.

She kept her eyes focused on her own leg as she knew he was looking at her; it wasn't a good idea to rile Snape. After a long moment she saw him put a hand in one of the voluminous pockets gracing his teaching robes and pull something out; offering it to her. She looked up and took the bottle, seeing the brownish liquid inside and knowing it was the Dittany he had brewed. It was then that she made her mistake; looking up into obsidian eyes and meeting them directly.

Immediately she felt the pressure in her mind; the sign that someone was trying to gain entry to her memories. She instantly locked down everything she could, erecting all but impenetrable walls the construction of which had been taught to her years ago. She saw something in Snape's eyes flicker; first surprise and then something else…determination. The assault on her mind doubled and it was all she could do to keep him out. Her head was already aching as he tried to claw his way through any gaps that he could find; the pressure building as he came closer and closer to undoing her…

"Are you alright? Merlin…are you…hello? Ana?"

Sirius broke them both from their silent battle; he shoved none too gently past Snape, knocking him enough to break his concentration, which rounding to Ana's side. She took in a deep breath and gave Snape a murderous look.

"You stay OUT of my head; you hear me? Next time I'll curse you into oblivion."

She felt something trickling onto her lip and blotted it with the back of her hand to find blood there. Snape had always been a master in Legilimency and it wasn't the first time he had given her a nose bleed. Except in his mind it was; and she intended to let him keep thinking that. However he evidently had other ideas.

"Who taught you how to armour your mind like that?" he swept closer, pinning her with a glare; she noticed his eyes were a little bloodshot and suppressed a smile of satisfaction at the sight.

"Keep off her Snivellus, she…"

"WHO?" Snape suddenly snapped in a way which he rarely did; usually he was all suppressed silky tones laced with danger. However he was looking for an answer he didn't truly want now; because she knew as well as he there were very few people who could have taught her to stand against such latent skill in Legilimency for so long. She let out a slow breath and finally, hesitantly, met his eyes.

"You did," she replied quietly, "You taught me everything you knew."

Then she, still clutching the Dittany tightly, hefted herself off the bed and half dragged her aching body across the hospital wing, despite protests from Sirius and McGonagall, and out the doors. She had barely gone two steps before Dumbledore appeared.

"Have you an appointment to keep, Miss Harte?" he asked as he strode towards her. His voice was as gentle as ever and his unflustered appearance, despite what he had been through, made her almost ashamed of her dishevelled state.

"I need to go back to the Ministry," she announced, "The Time Turners…"

"…are all destroyed, Miss Harte. You have no need to fear in that."

She looked up at him quickly, frowning as she wondered how he had known that the Time Turners needed to be destroyed for the events of that day to be sealed in time.

"It was not my doing; they were destroyed during the battle I am afraid – though I sense you are not distraught by this? Surely if you are indeed a time traveller you wish to go home?"

She shook her head slowly before answering,

"I can never go home. I could only go this far back as a one way deal; there was no chance of me returning. Not ever; I gave everything for this…" she chuckled darkly as she once again swiped at the blood under her nose, "I gave everything for this." she repeated, rounding Dumbledore and preparing to walk away.

"You are home, Miss Harte." Dumbledore's voice caused her to stop. It had always had that power to it; that quality that made people listen, always, unquestioningly accepting his word as fact. "You said yourself; you cannot go back. We could use you, Ana, and you could use us. I think at the very least you should remain at Grimmauld Place for now. There are many questions still to be answered; both on your side and ours."

She turned and looked back to him; twinkling blue eyes peering over half-moon spectacles meeting clear black ones set about dark circles of exhaustion.

"Do you believe me, Professor?" she asked suddenly.

"Is there any reason why I should not?" he answered.

She sighed quietly, looking past the Head teacher through to the hospital wing where she could still see Sirius sat next to Harry's bed, Minerva McGonagall speaking with Poppy Pomfrey at the bed's end and, looking straight back at her, Severus Snape. She had thought when she came to nineteen ninety six her greatest challenge would be saving Potter. Now, as Snape looked away and seemingly busied himself with some potions bottles laid out near Potter's bed, she thought perhaps the sheer act of living there might be the most difficult path of all.

_Yes_, she thought to herself, _when you finally come to know everything I think you'll find many reasons not to believe me; the truth is so unbelievable_. Her eyes lingered once again on Sirius, pushing against the softness she felt at the sight of him so happy. It was no use hanging onto them, hanging on to him – whatever she felt for him, for all of them, it couldn't come good; couldn't last, her world was too different from theirs. They couldn't possibly understand her past. She smiled wryly as the realisation dawned.

_I've only got until the truth is out._


	10. A Time for Answers

**A Time For Answers (June 1996)**

"There are things about my life I will never tell another living soul. Things about the world I left behind don't belong here, never will, and my dragging them up won't change anything that happened. So I'll answer what I can, tell you things about your lives even, memories and the like, but I'm not going to…"

She stopped and let out a sigh. How could she possible explain to the people staring at her all the things that had happened in twenty years? All the ways the Department of Mysteries, the world of darkness that followed, had changed them? How could she explain the marriages, the births, the deaths…how could any of it come to light without affecting their lives in unimaginable ways? Ana looked to Sirius, her usual point of reference, only to see him looking back at her with the same apprehension, confusion, the same…nothingness as all the others. She had only been in nineteen ninety six for two days and already she missed seeing people look at her like they cared.

Remus Lupin was sat to her right, with Sirius next to him and an assortment of Weasley's beyond them. Nymphadora Tonks was next, with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Harry Potter, who had less than an hour before risen from his sick bed, at her side. Dumbledore sat on Harry's right next to a slightly nervous Hermione Granger who was flanked by Ron Weasley. Others milled in the background; some she knew, some she didn't. Some, she realised, had been dead in her world since before she was born. Snape lingered at the back of the group, his chair pulled away from the table, occasionally eyeing her darkly whilst the rest of the time seemingly lost in his own world of thought.

"I think perhaps first we would require proof…" began Remus tentatively, his eyes darting to Dumbledore as though seeking approval, "Proof of whom you are, where you came from – perhaps, if you say you know us all, then you could tell us something only we would know about ourselves?"

"She already has for me," Sirius interrupted, "When I found her in the house she told me lots of things, stupid things, things I haven't ever bothered to tell anyone else…no one who's still alive anyway." his words faded to quiet and she knew he was thinking of James Potter.

"She also fought for us in the Department of Mysteries," added Tonks, "We all saw that. She deflected a nasty spell which would have put me in St. Mungo's, saved Sirius' life, showed some made duelling skills…"

"…this is precisely what someone trying to infiltrate the Order would do." Snape cut in scathingly, "Affirm their place by performing heroic acts, proving themselves from the off…"

"What would you know about heroism, Snape?" snarled Sirius, not looking round at the potions master as he spoke.

"I could ask you the same, Black." Snape replied with a sneer curling his lip, "Hiding away in your cubbyhole; safe from danger, safe from…"

Ana predicted the movement before it happened; in an instant Sirius had swirled and had his wand in Snape's face. In turn Snape had drawn his own wand and had it pointed at Sirius. Almost as quickly she had risen to her feet and had her wand pointed at…she averted the tip quickly from Sirius' form and replaced it between the two of them before anyone noticed. It would do no good to explain that she would never point at wand at Severus Snape; far easier to disarm Sirius than face Snape's wrath. However she couldn't help but think that Dumbledore's sharp blue gaze missed nothing, half-moon spectacles balancing precariously on his nose as he surveyed the scene.

"I could stun you both before either of you cast a spell; believe me. You saw me fight in the Ministry; I know how to use a disarming spell."

She saw Sirius hesitate before nodding briefly, just once, his wand still in Snape's face. For his part Snape's eyes had gone flinty and she could practically feel the darkness, the hatred, pouring through and settling on Sirius like a heavy film.

"I can tell you this about my past; you two hated one another then – twenty years in the future – as you do now. You hated one another just as well as you do in this very moment…and yet you worked together to make the Order strong, despite your personal feelings."

Sirius snorted disbelievingly and Snape raised his brows in equal denial.

"You can believe me or not but it's the truth. It's the truth because this war is bigger than any of us and personal vendettas don't matter a damn. You want to hear about my world? No need; you'll be seeing it soon enough if you don't get your shit _together _and start acting like adults. This isn't Hogwarts, children, this isn't school. House rivalries, childhood spats, mutual dislike…its _nothing_. We need unity. It's the only way we're going to win."

Everyone was looking at her and she felt her hand begin to tremble as the attention only grew. She clenched her jaw and quickly reached down with her free hand, lifting her skirts aside and ripping from her thigh the small bag she had brought with her; the one Granger had so perfectly enacted an undetectable extension charm. She threw it on the table, the resulting thud echoing around the completely silent room, and growled,

"There's your proof. My entire life is in that bag. Go ahead; take it. Take it all – if this is what I've come back to then you might as well have everything before there's nothing left to take."

She turned quickly and stormed out of the room. No one came after her.

Before she had even finished sweeping out of the kitchen she knew exactly where she was headed. Sirius' study; the room where he and she had spent hours in conversation, reading quietly together, chattering happily with Remus and Tonks, telling jokes with the remaining Weasley children…

She threw open the door and stopped dead when she stepped over the threshold. It wasn't a study; she had almost forgotten that it wasn't her time. In her anger between leaving the kitchen and entering the room she had forgotten everything. Yet it all came flooding back as she saw the room was filled with unused furniture; all covered in very dusty protective sheets. She took another step forward and slowly shut the door behind her, pressing her back against it and taking in deep, dust filled breath after deep dust filled breath.

She found herself on the floor without realising how she had gotten there. Ana berated herself; crouched like a child with tears in her eyes she probably look ridiculous. Slowly she levered herself up and walked in a dream-like state to one of the chairs. She gently tugged the dust protector off, closing her eyes as the stasis charm imbibed in the material broke and a cloud of particles flew upwards. She coughed slightly as she inhaled some before throwing the sheet on the floor and half sitting, half falling, in the newly uncovered green velvet chair.

She could hear talking from the kitchen, a rabble of voices, some loud and some quieter, some angry whilst others placating. Ana ignored them all. She honed in on the ticking of a clock, it was covered on the mantle of the fire so she couldn't see its origin or design, and became absorbed by the rhythmic sound. Her leg was still hurting, not so much since she had used the Dittany but still more than was comfortable, but she hadn't the energy to check it. She instead looked to another injury; one covered by the strip of material she had worn wrapped neatly around her wrist like a silken bracelet whenever she was in company for the past seven years. Her fingers were still trembling as she gently pulled the end of the material out, uncovering the skin on her left wrist, and looked at the mark there.

_She was sixteen years old and she felt invincible. _

_ Her wand out, and in an instant aimed, she threw a curse at an approaching part wolf, part man, bounding towards her with confidence. Her curse hit the creature squarely in the face. It never reached her. _

_ Remus had objected. He hadn't wanted her to come but she had insisted. Sirius had said it was a good idea – he had said that she should get a taste of what being in the Order was like. She had fought before, lots of times, but then it was small scale, two or three attackers at most, and always with lots of support. Now it was life or death and all her duelling training, all her practise of Defence and Charms and Transfiguration…it was all nothing when faced with ravenous beasts. _

_ They hadn't known about the wolf pack. It was supposed to be fairly simple; a small group of Snatchers praying on some sleepy village up North. Take out the Snatchers, ensure the villagers were alright and go home for tea. That was the plan. However when they arrived the Snatchers were already bloody corpses on the ground…bloody corpses in pieces. Remus had known the moment they Apparated, from the smell he said, he knew that it was wolves. A werewolf pack he said; estranged from humanity and bloodthirsty in the extreme. _

_ She flung herself out of the way of another approaching wolf and looked aside to where Sirius was fighting. He was so confident; he slashed a wolf once, twice before finally killing it with the killing curse. The creature fell to the floor and she cursed her own wolf as it flew towards her, attempting to attack her for the second time. _

_ An arm around her throat, pressing her windpipe, crushing it, stopped her dead. She tried to shout out, scream for Sirius, but it was dark and cold and suddenly she couldn't see him. She felt herself being dragged back, back towards the woods, and she kicked and struggled for all she was worth. A lucky swing backwards, driving her foot with all her might towards the place she knew any man would fear being struck, caused her captor to cry out and loosen his grip. She took the opportunity and, finally breaking free, she sprinted for her life; back to the Order. _

_ Suddenly her feet were pulled from under her. She whirled around, struggling in the snow, as she saw the wolf that had tried to take her had a wand. A thin cord was streaming out from it; wrapped around and around her ankle. He snarled at her, a menacing, gleeful look stretching across inhuman features, as he began to drag her in. Her wand was gone; she had let it go when he grabbed her – stupid mistake, stupid, stupid…_

_ He leapt forward with unnatural agility and pressed his weight on her. His fetid breath was hot on her face and she was shaking, not from the cold but from the fear, wondering whether it would be quick, wondering whether he would kill her or turn her, wondering…_

_ "Such a little girl killing so many of my brethren…" he snarled, his voice rasping like that of an angry wolf which had scented blood, his yellow eyes and yellower teeth bright in the faded moonlight, "I'll show you what we do to little killers, little murderersss…" his words turned to a hiss as he pressed his elbow across her body and, using one arm to pin back her forearm, he drew a long, filthy, needle sharp nail across the tender flesh of her wrist. She screamed out as the pain began, writhing and crying as he scored into her skin. _

_ "You'll be mine now, yesss, mine; old Blacktooth will have you all to himself little pretty, yes you'll be mine, my plaything my…" he kept on muttering as he scratched; his dagger sharp nail tearing through her skin as she screamed out. He didn't seem to care about the noise she was making. He was in a world entirely his own; a world where his prey was begging for mercy and he was enjoying it. _

_ A sudden flash of light blinded her and for a moment she was sure she was dead. Her eyes were filled with red light and she could still see it even when she shut her lids and turned her face away. Blacktooth was heavy on her now, heavier than before she thought, and through her tears she was sure she could see figures moving towards her out of the darkness…_

_ "ANA!" Sirius shouted, falling to his knees in the snow beside her and shoving Blacktooth's prone body from her, "Merlin, are you alright? I heard you screaming but I couldn't find you among the wolves and the dark and the…fuck; is that blood? Are you bleeding…?" he stopped and now the red light was receding, clearing her vision, she could see the horror in his eyes. _

_ "Sirius? Is she there?" she heard Remus yell. His footsteps were crunching through the snow and she now realised that it had gone very quiet. The other must have killed all the wolves. _

_ "Yes, she's here…" she was almost surprised to hear Sirius' voice shaking, "She's…fuck, Remus, there's blood everywhere…"_

_ "Arthur? We've got her! Sirius…what did you say? No, oh no, did he…? Merlin; Ana?" she saw Remus' face appear above her, looking down, and she saw the fear there, lying beneath the calm he was trying to exude, "Did he bite you?"_

_ She hesitated for a moment, replaying everything through in her head. What had happened? She could barely remember; she only remembered the pain, the…she shook her head. _

_ "No," she murmured, her voice shaking wildly as sobs threatened to overwhelm her, "No, he…" she stopped, holding up her injured wrist and looking with them at the markings on the once pure, unmarked flesh. _

_ Sirius growled something darkly, pointed his wand at Blacktooth's body and uttered the killing curse. There was a green flash, nothing but light filling the silence, as Remus still stared down at the single word messily carved there. _

She stroked her thumb over her wrist, closing her eyes as she pushed aside the memory, stored it away, far away. She looked down once more at the word, still ugly and dark after all the years since it had first been written; a scar that for some reason would never, ever heal. The word had plagued her dreams, her thoughts, fuelling her doubts and fears…

_Mine. _

The door to the room opened and she jumped, looking up quickly and seeing Remus Lupin standing illuminated in the doorway. Hurriedly she tugged the strip down back over the scar. However his eyes followed the jagged movement; glancing at the marred flesh for a half moment before it was covered.

"What's that?" he asked; his voice gentle as he shut the door behind him and approached. He tugged a sheet from a chair of his own, coughing slightly as the dust caught in his throat, before taking a seat and looking at her.

Remus Lupin looked young; much, much younger than when she had known him – younger even than the new thirty something Sirius she was coming to know seemed to be. Of course Ana knew that transformations aged a person; the strain on the body and the recovery period afterwards meant that in her time Remus was somewhat of a rare bird – a werewolf living past fifty was all but unheard of. His eyes were keen as ever though, kinder than Sirius' often were though much less full of life than the other man's. The scars on his face, as sharply defined as those on her wrist, were the only things to denote his terrible past. Remus' blue eyes had a warm tone, despite the life he led – which his tired smile only seemed to add to.

"An old scar; long forgotten." her fingers clenched over her wrist, as though shielding it from him would make him forget. Remus let out a slow breath.

"We looked through your things; the things you left. The letters, the ring and the necklace, the photographs…"

She smiled faintly as he spoke; visualising all of the items in question. She must have been trapped in the memory of that snowy night seven years ago longer than she had thought if they had already gone through all the things in her bag.

"Am I proven?" she asked, tilting her head slightly and reading his body language. She had known him so long, all her life; it was easy to tell what he was going to say next.

"The majority have voted in your favour; we do believe for the most part that you are who you say you are but…you must understand how this is for us. You know things about our lives, those we have lived and will live and now might never live…but we know nothing about you. It is wise for all of us if we are cautious…and your being secretive in all matters doesn't help."

His eyes drifted once again down to her wrist; still tightly clutched by her free hand.

"How did you come by that wound?" he murmured. "Tell me what happened." he paused when she did not reply before adding, "Let me begin to know you the way you know me."

She shifted slightly, her eyes lowering to the floor, before looking at her wrist and then meeting his again. He waited patiently, not saying anything, simply waiting. She bit her lip before muttering with no little tinge of resentment,

"You always were a wonderful teacher. No one could get anything past you."

She slipped the hastily knotted material from her wound and turned her wrist outwards so he could see. He took the proffered limb in his hands and studied the scar. It took him a moment to make out the letters; they were poorly written with the last being almost unrecognisable as it was still being written when Sirius' had stunned Blacktooth, but the moment Remus' mind aligned all the random cuts into a coherent word his eyes widened and he murmured,

"How…why would anyone do this?"

"I was sixteen," she whispered into the semi-darkness, for she hadn't lit any lamps in the room and there were no windows; only the dim light pouring under the doorway giving everything an eerie illumination, "We went on my first proper mission. You didn't want me to go, said I wasn't ready, I insisted. We went, just a harmless thing it was supposed to be, take out a group who were worrying Muggles up north…" she stopped.

"Go on," he breathed, willing her with his eyes to keep contact, keeping her talking.

"There was a wolf pack…a werewolf pack. They'd killed the people we were after, the Muggles too, they attacked us…I was caught whilst the others were fighting. He dragged me out of the way, out of sight of the others, pinned me down, made his mark…" her voice hitched.

There was silence and she saw the look in Remus' eye; the anger, the hatred for those of his kind who acted on the instincts of their wolves, the guilt…

"It wasn't your fault. I never blamed you. I know who you are, Remus Lupin, even if you don't know me. I know your heart and you would never, not ever, do anything like that. You might share their curse but you're nothing like them; you're a good man with a good heart."

He simply looked at her for a long moment before murmuring,

"It's so strange to hear someone I don't know say those things. I haven't known a stranger's kindness for years…certainly not since I was turned. Even though a wolf did this to you, even though you have every reason to hate my kind, you don't hate me. You're sitting in the dark with me now and you're not even a little bit afraid."

She listened to his musing with a small smile before twisted her wrist from his grip and taking one of his large hands in both of her own. He truly seemed overwhelmed by her acceptance of him. She wasn't sure whether the sight of it made her feel happy or sad; happy because he was so much like her Remus in that moment but sad because he felt so lost, so alone…

"How many men have you killed, Remus Lupin?" she asked quietly. There was a silence before he replied in a half whisper,

"I don't know. None on purpose; I don't aim to kill."

She nodded slowly.

"I've killed so many that my soul must be black as night; blacker than the darkest darkness; I don't even remember their faces anymore, who they were, how many…but that isn't who I am. Yes I have killed, yes I have done things which in this world would not be approved of, but I have fought for freedom and for the existence of life. I am a killer; but I am also many other things."

She had maintained eye contact throughout, willing him to understand, and the flicker of a smile at the corners of his mouth told her that she had succeeded.

"We do what we must…" he added.

"You taught me better than to hate all for the actions of one; judgement is not something you or I are qualified to pass." she replied.

He squeezed her hands and she smiled. This Remus might look like the same man that she had known but she was becoming more and more aware that he was also very different in many ways; of course he was - he hadn't experienced the same things her Remus had experienced. They hadn't lived the same lives; wouldn't live the same lives if she could help it.

"I was sent to fetch you; they'll all be wondering where we've gotten to."

She followed him out of the room, returning to the kitchen with the feeling of nerves writhing in her stomach. She shook the feeling aside. They believed her, they would one day come to trust her and it was all going to be all right. She was going to prove to them it would be all right.

When she entered everyone looked up. They were still looking at the letters and photographs strewn around the table. She paused in the doorway, hesitant, but Remus took her hand and pulled her in. She looked sheepishly over to Sirius, who gave her a small smile which bolstered her courage. Snape was glaring at something he was holding, a photograph from the looks of it, his eyes boring through the paper as though the image would change if he looked at it long enough. She looked to Remus, who simple nodded his encouragement, and walked over to Snape to look over his shoulder.

It was a picture which had been taken on her coming of age. They were gathered around the very same table they all sat at; Ana at the centre smiling as she chattered away with Sirius, Remus looking on and laughing, a few similar looking Weasley boys of various generations laughing uproariously amongst themselves. Molly Weasley was whisking something with her wand as she presided over the group with a motherly look about her. Snape was stood behind Ana's chair, handing her something. She turned and took the parcel, unwrapping it carefully, before jumping up with a shout of delight and wrapping him in a hasty hug. The entire company burst into laughter at the sight of Snape looking so disconcerted, standing stiff as a board, but when she let go to turn away and examine the gift further a small smile, which she had not seen until after the photograph had been taken, appeared on the man's face as he looked down at her with a look which was almost tender. A look she had never seen him give another person in all her life; not even herself. Obviously he had not noticed the camera until it was too late.

"What is this?" he asked, his slippery smooth voice holding a darkly dangerous tone

"My seventeenth birthday." she answered, "You gave me a book on Defence…Confronting the Faceless. You were using it to teach your N.E.W.T students…"

"Snape was _Defence_ teacher?" exclaimed Potter suddenly, breaking through the silence which had begun when she had started to speak.

"Yes, he was excellent, regarded as Hogwarts' best." she replied. She heard the youngest Weasley boy, Ron, scoff at the fact. "You can laugh, Mr Weasley, but it's the truth. I never went to school; I was taught within Grimmauld Place by members of the Order. My Hogwarts was…it was not a good place. Death Eaters as Professors, dark curses taught and used by and on students…" she stopped, seeing the looks of horror on the others faces, "I got a good deal, I think, taught by Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black…" she trailed off and smiled faintly, "I was able to disarm Sirius in a duel by the time I was thirteen."

The elicited soft laughter from around the table and a faux outraged looked from Sirius himself. She shrugged at him and added,

"You shouldn't have taught me so well."

He grinned at that. She looked back down at the photograph, which Snape was still clutching fiercely, and continued,

"I had been desperate for books, any books, the higher the level the better. I'd already been through Hermione Granger's entire collection," she threw the girl a small smile, "which was extensive. Been through everything within Grimmauld Place, everything Remus and Sirius could beg, borrow or steal, anything the many Order members brought for me…" she looked at Snape who jaw was clenched tightly, "You knew all of that. So while Sirius gave me cursed daggers and Remus a necklace which was imbued with enough protective magic to ward off a raging cave troll you just gave me a book. It was my favourite present; the others were wonderful, of course, and I was grateful – so grateful. But the book…" she let out a breath, wondering how to say it without sounding stupid, "It was everything that I was; it represented the learning that I loved and the subject that I studied furiously, adoringly, pretty much all my life. It was from you; which made it more important, because you hated birthdays, you hated parties and you definitely hated presents."

"If you doubted she knew you before, Snape…" Sirius chuckled.

"Why?" Snape suddenly asked, seemingly snapping out of the trance that the photograph had caught him in. "Why would I give you anything? Why…?" she knew he was asking about the smile, the small hidden show of a hint of affection.

"Because I always believed you were a good man," she answered plainly. "I never doubted that you weren't and I think you appreciated that in your way; it was something many people didn't give you. Plus I used a stinker of a Bat Bogey Hex on Sirius once for saying something about your mother – took days for him to fully reverse the effects. I think you always kind of liked me after that."

Snape looked up to her for a moment, studying her intently, before getting up and sweeping from the room. After a few moments she heard the front door slamming as he left Grimmauld Place.

"You cursed me for insulting SNAPE?" exclaimed Sirius suddenly; looking at her incredulously. She nodded and added blithely,

"You deserved it; you were awful."

"Nothing changes," Remus interjected with a wry grin.

Sirius protested and it elicited a spattering of chuckles before everyone began to chatter amongst themselves, filling in the quiet, exchanging photographs, laughing over the changes in themselves, some jesting, others grinning in a self-satisfied way. Ana smiled as she looked around; seeing people she knew and people she didn't, people long dead brought back to life and others, like Hermione Granger, no longer shells but full of vitality and hopes and ambitions. Finally her gaze rested on Dumbledore and she remembered her thoughts outside the hospital wing. It seemed he remembered her despondency too because he tilted his head slightly to the side, half-moon spectacles dipping as blue eyes asked her the question. Her smile and an inclination of her head was the answer.

It might not be the same, nothing ever could be, but she was determined that, someday, she was going to be able to call Grimmauld Place home again. She took the seat Snape had taken and reached out to take the photograph they had been studying. It was only then that she realised it was gone. She looked to the doorway and frowned slightly. Someone calling her name, a question about a letter, removed her thoughts. There would be plenty of time to think about the enigma of Severus Snape.


	11. The Millennium Bridge

**The Millennium Bridge (July 1996)**

She padded down the stairs, rubbing sleep from her eyes, greeting the portrait of Sirius' mother and receiving a muttered curse in reply. She was wearing a nightdress Hermione Granger had provided her with; it was old and a little tight across the chest but it suited purpose and was long enough to reach her knees. Her feet were bare; the wounds she had gained during her escape from Azkaban were long healed but she had grown so used to going barefoot half the time she didn't realise she hadn't got shoes on until someone mentioned it.

"Good morning!" she called as she entered the kitchen. She stopped as she realised that there was no one there. Odd; she had been sure that she had heard someone moving around…she shook her head. How long was it going to take her to shake off the old world paranoia?

She had been in nineteen ninety six for a full month now and, despite a thousand and one teething problems, she was finally beginning to settle in. Sirius was indebted to her for saving his life and so had made her as comfortable as he could; meaning a room which wasn't doxy infested and the use of as many old fabrics to transfigure into dresses as he could muster. Remus was on her side; had been since that night when she had told him about Blacktooth, and he had been her main tutor in the things she didn't know – induction into the Order in ninety six was very different to how it had been in her time. Molly Weasley had taken her into the fold when she realised that not only could Ana cook passably well but she was excellent at cleaning charms – a skill deserving of an Order of Merlin, First Class, in Mrs Weasley's book. The other Weasley's followed their mother's lead and what little she had seen of Arthur Weasley affirmed that he was just as kind and well-meaning as his wife – which he had been in her time too. The Golden Trio; Harry, Ron and Hermione, had caused a few deeper problems. Her defence of Snape had put them on the off and she had noticed them looking at her covertly and talking quietly several times. However since she had been living in Grimmauld Place for four weeks and had not yet killed anyone they were, she thought, beginning to realise she was not a Death Eater in disguise…

Which brought her to Snape; the damn man was being the most difficult of all. Astoundingly, against everything she did and said, she had only seen him once since the night he had taken the photograph and stormed from Grimmauld Place. His demeanour had been, if possible, even icier than usual on their second meeting and he had stayed mere moments after she entered the room; leaving with another crashing of the door.

A shuffling sound caused her to whip around, cursing the fact that she had left her wand upstairs, and grasp a candlestick from the table before rounding it to find the source. She was sure it was coming from the pantry…but what intruder would be hiding out in there and…snuffling?

She crossed the space in two steps and flung the door open. There Sirius was, curled up in sleep; the smell of stale alcohol fetid and pungent on him and in his arms…

"So you're a serial carrot cuddler are you?" she quirked a smile at the sleeping form, sat squarely in amongst large bag of the vegetables Molly Weasley had dropped off ready for when she would make dinner for much of the Order that evening, before sighing and losing the smile.

It had started when Dumbledore announced that Harry had to go to the Dursley's for at least part of his summer. Sirius had not, it was safe to say, liked that – not one bit. However for whatever reason Dumbledore would not be swayed so Harry had gone off the Dursley's for two weeks, after which he would go to the Burrow, and Sirius had dug out his stash of Firewhiskey. No matter what she said or did he wouldn't shave, wouldn't wash, wouldn't do anything except sit and sip away at his constantly refilling glass. He had tried, at first, in her first few days at Grimmauld Place he had tried to be cheerful, to keep the both of them occupied…but soon he had lost interest. He was lonely; she knew it, and her company could not make up for Harry's or the Weasley's or any of his friends'. She knew that he didn't care enough about her to change his actions on her words; however he would change his ways if Harry were allowed to come and stay…which was why she was up so early that morning, why she had come down before even getting dressed; to tell Sirius the good news. Despite Dumbledore's trepidation about letting Harry spend any length of time at Order Headquarters she had managed to persuade him that Godfather and Godson spending time together would be a good idea. However Dumbledore would soon change his mind if he saw Sirius in such a state.

"Come on sleepy," she murmured, crouching down and giving his shoulder a shake, "Time to wake up; we're having visitors."

He stirred slightly before breathing out long and loud; releasing a stream of foul breath on her, and drifting once more back into his dreams. She closed her eyes for a moment; this was getting ridiculous. She wasn't sure whether she should be worried about him or laughing at how ridiculous he was being. But then he wasn't being ridiculous…she knew her nightmares sometimes made her want to down five bottles of Firewhiskey and never think again. The majority of the worst of them involved Azkaban…she shook her head.

"Sirius Black! Get up; now!" she gave him a none too gentle shove and felt relief when his eyes opened; bloodshot and sleepy but open nonetheless.

"What?" he growled, his voice gravelly. They had spent enough time together for him to have no scruples about being rude to her when the need took him.

"You need to get out of this cupboard, eat and make yourself presentable."

He snorted and turned away.

"Very well if you're happy to let Harry see you like this…"

Immediately he was rolling over and, with a grunt, sat up straight; looking her in the eye.

"Harry? Harry's coming here? Well that…but Dumbledore said…"

"Dumbledore can be persuaded," she answered smilingly, "And I can be very persuasive. I offered up some information about my past in exchange for a fortnight of Harry Potter – I thought you'd…"

She was cut off as Sirius laughed; his full, throaty, gleeful laugh that she hadn't heard since Harry had gone back to live at Privet Drive. The glint in his eyes was back; they had been deadened by drink for the last two weeks and trapped alone in the house with him for days on end with few visits to break up the cycle of drinking and sleeping she hadn't known what to…

"I KNEW there was a reason you came here! First you save my life now you give me back my Godson! Merlin, Ana, I could kiss you!" she laughed and pulled a face.

"Not with breath like that you can't. Go on; wash – please, for the love of Merlin, wash. I'll make breakfast."

He staggered to his feet, sending carrots tumbling to the ground, and sped out of the room. She grinned after him, staying in her crouched position for a long moment; he was so childlike in his way. He had, she reminded herself, spent twelve years in Azkaban; he had essentially passed from youth in adulthood there. No wonder his sense of age appropriate behaviour was skewed out of all recognition.

She moved over to the stove and lit the grill. It was too early in the morning to be using magic; anyway she was all but positive after long years of in depth research that grilled toast tasted better when actually done under a grill as opposed to flambéed with a charm. She pulled out the grill and sliced some bread, moving aside the greening end which she put aside to throw away, reminding herself to put a stasis charm on the next loaf.

Ten minutes later toast, tea and coffee were all lain out on the table. She curled her legs up underneath her and took a bite of toast, pulling the previous day's Daily Prophet towards her. Kingsley had dropped it off the night before, as owls couldn't deliver to a place under the Fidelius Charm, and she had not yet had a chance to read it. She took a bite of her toast; looking at the photograph on the front page as she did so. The title read;

**_Brockdale Bridge Brought Down in Death Eater Attack!_**

She stared at it for a moment, watching the bridge fall once, twice, three times, before looking up the page at the date on the head of the newspaper and murmuring,

"Oh shit."

She leapt from the table and stumbled out of the kitchen towards the stairs.

"Sirius!" she shouted as she bounded two at a time upwards, skidding to a halt outside his bedroom and pounding on the door. "Sirius; open the damn door!"

There was a scuffling inside before he flung it open, his shirt half open and trousers still undone, feet bare and hair a wild, freshly washed mass around his head.

"What!" he exclaimed, "What is it? Death Eaters? Have they found us – or the Ministry? Oh not Harry – nothing can have happened to Harry…."

She reached over and clapped a hand across his mouth.

"Today is July the twenty ninth nineteen ninety six. In my time the Dark…Voldemort – he didn't just take over right away – the Ministry resisted at first, the Aurors…so he gave the Minister an ultimatum. He said if Fudge didn't step down as Minister then he would kill Muggles on a massive scale. Fudge refused and the Auror office was strong, they'd been building their forces since Harry Potter died…so Voldemort enacted his promise. On the twenty eighth of June he destroyed the Brockdale Bridge; some travel route across a river up North. There were a few deaths, minor casualties mostly…and everyone thought it was going to be alright. The next day Fenrir Greyback and a mass of Death Eaters attacked the Millennium Bridge, one of the most important over river routes in London…fifty plus Muggles were killed when that bridge was destroyed. Sirius today is the twenty ninth and yesterday's Prophet…"

His eyes had been widening as she had spoken and now he yanked her hand off his mouth and grasped her wrist tightly.

"You're certain?" he asked, "Certain this will…"

"During the rush hour; yes…oh God it's already past…turn on the wireless!"

He span around and flipped on the Wizarding Wireless Network, tuning it in effortlessly, wincing slightly as his hangover protested the noise, and crackling was replaced by an insistent voice in clipped tones;

"Death Eaters have been reportedly seen within Diagon Alley and many have been spotted within Muggle London en mass. There are reports of a disturbance at the Millennium Bridge; a popular Thames crossing point for many. Fear of a repeat of yesterday's atrocities in Brockdale against the Muggle population in relation to…"

Ana left Sirius' room and sprinted to her own. She snatched her wand from her bedside table and twirled it in a complicated motion, muttering hurriedly under her breath. Instantly her nightdress transfigured into day clothes; a long skirted, long sleeved black affair with a square neck which began at her collar bone. She grabbed one of her daggers from where it had lain beside her wand and furiously tore a slit up the skirt to mid-thigh; for movement. She then thrust her feet into the boots which stood beside her bed and made to leave; before running straight into Sirius.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" she answered, "I'm going to go and help those people! Muggles or not they are being attacked by something they can't begin to comprehend; they didn't ask for this…the Muggles don't even know…we have a duty…"

"Wait for me to inform the others…" he began.

"You can't come! If the Ministry turn up then you'll be thrown back in Azkaban! Your pardon is nowhere near being passed yet – you know that, no one has seen proof that Pettigrew is still alive…Sirius alert the others, you must, but I have to go on…"

"You're mad! You'll be killed if you go alone!" he shouted.

"You underestimate me." she answered shortly before swirling round and, dissembling her form into a misty black shroud, whirling formlessly down the stairs and to the front door. When she returned to shape she yanked open the doorway and shouted back to him,

"Tell the others; tell anyone you can – the Millennium Bridge – and hurry!"

She stepped over the threshold and, shutting the door firmly behind her, span around on the spot and focused with all her might on the Millennium Bridge as the pressure of Apparition closed in on her. When she opened her eyes she opened them to chaos.

The far side of the bridge had already been broken on one side and she could hear the metal straining as the other side buckled under the pressure. She had planted herself smack bang in the middle of the bridge and was buffed aside as countless Muggles ran, none taking note of someone appearing from thin air amidst all the chaos, trying to reach one end or the other before the entire thing collapsed. Ana looked around but she couldn't see anyone with wands, nor could she tell where the attack was coming from; without a point of reference she couldn't…

The bridge groaned and she heard a cable snap as the entire structure sunk several feet. Screams and yells of panic as people who had been making for the crumbling side turned heel and tried to race the other way filled her ears. She ran to her right, to the very edge of the rail, and leaned over. There she could see that the far end of the bridge was barely holding; a single paltry cable holding the entire bridge, and all those on it, above the massive drop and the murky Thames below.

"This way!" she shouted at the people running towards her, "RUN!"

She slipped her wand from her sleeve and, pointing it covertly at the far side of the bridge, began muttering ceaselessly under her breath. The strain was almost instantaneous, even as she saw the fine mist of her magic begin to wrap around the remaining cable, keeping such a large thing upright with so much weight upon it was an unbelievable undertaking. The nails of her free hand dug into the flesh in her palm as she muttered over and over, willing to be stronger than whoever was destroying the bridge.

However destruction was much easier than reparation. With a sinking feeling she saw the last cable tremble; close to breaking. There were still people on the bridge; perhaps thirty or forty, all at varying places. Some older people were trailing behind the others, far too…

A loud snapping sound followed by the ground lurching sickeningly below her told her it was too late. The far side of the bridge was gone. She clung to the rail as people fell due to the sudden change in gravity and began sliding down towards the water. Almost instantly she saw the bridge begin to twist, curling up and coming close to enveloping the people still on it. If they kept clinging onto the bridge they were going to be crushed.

Still holding tightly to the rail with one arm she pointed her wand towards the people with the other and, praying they were all swimmers, she sent a sharp Flipendo Jinx down across the bridge. It hit half a dozen people in a blanket motion, sending them flying backwards and off the bridge's end. She immediately barked out,

"ARESTO MOMENTUM!" causing all those falling towards the water to immediately slow and, instead of hitting the surface of the Thames, sink into the water gently.

She used the method once more, clearing as many as she could from the bridge's surface, before vaulting over the rail she had been clinging to. Now the centre of the bridge where she was holding on was beginning to strain and creak – it wouldn't take long for the entire thing to snap in half. She flinched as on the other side a cable snapped and sprung whip-like through the air; cutting through everything in its path. She could still hear screams and looked around desperately, sending another Flipendo Jinx, this time to the other side of the bridge in order to send people scooting off onto the pavement at a ridiculous speed. A massive crack to her left caused her to whirl around to see a cable slicing through the air towards her. Letting her instincts take over she released her hold on the rail and, propelling herself backwards, she allowed her body to fall in an arc towards the water's surface below.

She breathed the slowing charm moments before she hit the water; allowing herself to sink into the Thames as though she were lowering herself into a bath. As soon as she was half way into the water she began kicking, propelling herself through the water.

"ANA!" she heard someone yell.

She looked up to see Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and a woman she remembered as Emmeline Vance congregated at the far bank. She pulled herself upright, treading water with difficulty due to her long skirts, and waved an arm at them to show she was alright. She swam to the shore along with several business men and woman, one old woman who stripped past them all with an almost alarmingly ferocious breast stroke, and a mother whose small son was clinging to her back as she swam like a limpet to a rock. Once Ana reached the far side she scrambled up the bank, met halfway by Remus.

"You're mad; absolutely mad, do you have any…you could have been seen – you could have been KILLED!" he reprimanded even as he removed his jacket, wrapped it around her and, with one arm around her shoulders, helped her up to the top.

"I could hardly have let them die!" she exclaimed, her teeth already chattering from the early morning bath in one of London's most unclean water sources.

"You could have waited…" Remus began.

"Waited until you got here?" she interrupted, "By the time you got here the bridge was gone – it would have been too late. I had to act; I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she sighed shakily, "I should have remembered; I keep forgetting that things might happen the same…"

"It's not your fault," Tonks interjected, "You couldn't have known. Cooped up in that house with Sirius…I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot which century it was!"

Ana chuckled before looking back over her shoulder, her face sobering as she saw something suspiciously body shaped floating in the water. She knew that, despite her intervention, people would have died. Deaths she could have prevented.

"It was very brave," Ana turned to look at Emmeline Vance who was smiling kindly at her.

"Bloody brilliant I'd say!" Tonks added enthusiastically.

Remus squeezed her shoulders tightly, indicating that despite his harsh words he agreed with the women. She smiled half-heartedly before looking up to Remus and asking quietly,

"Can you take me home now please?"

* * *

><p>"And then she leapt into the water; it was incredible – all graceful and powerful and…you should have seen it. I've never, not ever, seen anyone do anything so bog ridden, stark raving…"<p>

Ana twirled the cabbage on her plate, keeping her eyes down, listening as Tonks relayed what she was referring the to as 'the Great Bridge escapade' to the assorted people around the table. She was sat at the end of one of the two long benches which had been employed for the masses turning out to eat. On her right was Tonks who was sat next to Remus and in turn Remus was sat next to Harry Potter. As it was his house Sirius was at the head of the table with Kingsley Shacklebolt at his right followed by the Weasley twins; Fred and George, then Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley and, finally, Arthur and Molly Weasley; who was surrounded by an array of pots and pans which she was serving from.

"Yes it was very brave…" Remus interrupted.

"…and very dangerous…" Sirius interjected.

"However," Remus spoke over his friend, keeping his narrative moving, "This disaster, and that of Brockdale, shows us just how powerful Voldemort is becoming. His followers are more and more brash in the way they are conducting their attacks; Ana you said you couldn't see the origins of the spells that were being used…?"

She looked up to see everyone was looking at her.

"No," she answered, "I couldn't see anyone though, from the strength used, I'd say there were more than one – three or four more like. I tried to counter whatever curse they were using and I could only hold the thing up for a few moments longer…they knew what they were doing."

"Perhaps it was some form of the Bombarda jinx…it would have made the cables snap without reason…" broke in Hermione before shyly ducking her head when all the other wizards and witches at the table looked towards her.

"I'd say you're probably right," Ana agreed, earning a smile from the girl, "That accounts for why the cables were snapping so easily. As for the twisting of the bridge…" she paused, remembering the screams as Muggles were trapped beneath the iron, "It would have been something a hell of a lot stronger – which means Voldemort probably taught it to them himself. Back in my time Greyback claimed he was the enforcer of Millennium…someone like him wouldn't know a spell as powerful as that – let alone have the power to perform it."

"But that's all irrelevant!" Sirius exclaimed, sitting forward, "We know what they did, it's done, what matters is stopping whatever they do next!"

There was pause before Harry jumped in.

"Sirius is right. We don't need to be raking over what's already happened! We need to work out what he's going to do next and stop him before more people die!"

"I could help with that," Ana looked Potter in the eyes and added, "I wasn't even born in nineteen ninety six the first time round so my knowledge is sketchy but I can give you what I can. I'll sit down, do a time line, anything I remember but some things I put down might not happen whilst things I didn't know about or didn't happen the first time might now come to pass. Everything I do here changes something – already time's been altered irrevocably. "

"Good," Remus stepped in, "Kingsley if you and Tonks could use any Ministry contacts you can; try and find out what the Ministry is doing next – how they're combatting this. Any information about Death Eater practises will be useful."

"I should probably mention," Ana murmured, "Three weeks after Millennium the Ministry fell…at least in my time."

There was silence following her words. Finally Harry piped up,

"But that won't happen now. You said everything fell apart after I died so…"

"So now you're alive we stand a chance." she sent the boy a smile and he returned it slightly; though she could see how the responsibility weighed heavy on him.

"What about Hogwarts?" Arthur put in, "Once Harry goes back there he'll be out of our reach…" he trailed off with a worried look to his own children.

"Under Dumbledore's protection!" exclaimed Tonks, "Surely that…"

"Presume nowhere is safe," Ana broke in, "Harry can only survive if we protect him."

"I'm not a child!" Harry retorted.

"No; you are a child Harry." she answered, "And you want to stay that way as long as you can. Go to school, learn your lessons, have a little fun if you can. Believe me; dark days are coming and when they're here you'll pray for your childhood; wish you hadn't frittered it away fighting the battles we should be fighting for you…"

"Enough!" Mrs Weasley jumped up, "You're scaring the boy!"

"Good," she answered, rising herself and pushing her barely eaten dinner away, "He should be scared. We all should be scared; Voldemort killed twenty nine Muggles today without batting an eyelid. We should be really bloody scared because that's the only way we're going to avoid joining them – I'm sorry Molly, thank you for dinner, it was lovely."

She turned to leave only to stop when she heard the front door open and slam shut. She frowned and looked to Sirius who had turned in his seat and was looking towards the open kitchen door; equally puzzled. However his confusion melted into a look of disgust as he recognised who it was; swivelling round in his seat to face the table again he spat,

"It's Snape; what's he doing here?"

A moment later the man himself strode into the room. However seeing the dinner things out and the comfortable nature of the gathering he looked around the room in what could have passed for surprise before announcing coldly,

"I was told there was a meeting."

Everyone looked to one another furtively; there had been no meeting called. Her eyes flickered to Sirius yet he showed no sign that he had played this particular practical joke. The children looked equally baffled, staring at Snape as though he were the devil himself. However she thought she caught a shared look between the twins which piqued her suspicions.

"No Severus," Lupin finally answered, "There was nothing arranged for tonight."

"But do join us;" Molly Weasley leapt in with a kind smile, "You're most welcome."

His eyes swept from one speaker to another before finally resting on Ana herself.

"No, thank you." he ground out before turning on his heel and making to flee.

"Seve…Snape wait!" she called after him. He did not pause in his stride, still heading for the door, and feeling a barrage of frustration explode within she shouted out again, "Merlin be damned will you stop?"

She saw him hesitate before turning sharply and raising an eyebrow at her. She walked towards the door…before seeing what she secretly branded as Snape's 'murder face'. Pausing at the head of the table she reached across for Sirius' half full glass of Butterbeer and downed it in one for courage, slamming the glass back on the table once every drop was gone, leaving the kitchen with a deliberate stride and closing the door smartly behind her.

"What I want to say won't take long," she began.

"I have no wish to hear it," he murmured in his favourite darkly dangerous tone.

"Well tough; I'm going to say it anyway and you can listen or you can choose not to but you will stand here whilst I speak," she paused, taking in a deep breath before uttering quickly, "I know you've had a shit life; believe me, I know. I promise you now that all I know about you will remain a secret I shall keep until the day I die which, by the looks of things, might be quite soon at this rate. I also know that you've made mistakes, really bad mistakes, and some of them have come back to haunt you in a way that is…just horrific. But I also know you've done good things in your life; brave things. I know you can be a good man – though you don't want anyone else to know it. So if you're wondering why I don't treat you like shit it isn't because of any great prophetic underlying reason. It's because the man that I once knew, the man with your face, with your heart, would not have wanted me to treat anyone with any less respect than what I owed – which in your case is a damn lot. So whatever strange things you think are going on which makes you think you can't trust me -forget it. You can trust me. I promise you can…always."

She paused and kept eye contact for a moment, breathing heavily as she realised she had been all but shouting until her last word, as dark eyes bored into her own.

"That's all," she muttered, shifting her eyes away, "I'm done."

She turned around and re-entered the kitchen without a backwards glance. Inside she shut the door, her back to the people gathered at the table for a moment, before turning to face them.

"I guess you nosy lot heard all of that?" she asked with a straight face.

There were nods and looks of awe, confusion, horror and other emotions she couldn't even begin to explain. After a moment's silence Ron Weasley broke it with a strangled,

"You ordered Snape to do something…and he did it."

She smiled before looking to Sirius, noting that he was smiling at her as widely as she was at him, before asking him in an only partially faux weary tone,

"Where did you say you keep the Firewhiskey?"


	12. Diagon Alley

**Diagon Alley (August 1996)**

"There we have it; I believe we may now say you are once again a member of the wizarding world…officially at the very least."

She smiled and took the piece of paper Kingsley was holding out. Dumbledore had been fighting Sirius' case for pardon long and hard over the last two months but in the meantime Kingsley had been giving her an identity. She had not changed anything about her original self; her name, birthday, blood group…they were all the same. The only difference was that instead of reading that she was born in nineteen ninety nine she was now born in…

"Nineteen seventy three," she murmured, looking up with a grin, "It makes me feel ancient!"

There were various protests around the room; not least Sirius who was objecting profoundly to anyone who was born after him feeling anything but 'youthful and fully of vitality'. She laughed and clutched the paper to her chest.

"Thank you Kingsley."

The man nodded sedately in reply, his own smile warm.

"Which brings me to my next point," Dumbledore interrupted the melee of discussion with his gentle tone; instantaneously causing everyone to give him their attention. He looked to Ana, who was watching him with head tilted in question, before continuing,

"It has been said that Hogwarts is no longer safe. Whilst I promise that whilst I am Headmaster I shall protect the students with my life, as would my staff, I do not think it would hurt to be…cautious in our defences. The Ministry has allowed for a small contingent of Aurors to patrol the castle; a sort of security detail. However many of those assigned are not members of the Order. Therefore I think that an addition to the Hogwarts staff is in the off."

His gaze settled pointedly on her. She frowned, looking at Dumbledore with incredulity, before exclaiming,

"You can't employ me! Albus…it's a nice thought and I appreciate it but…I never went to Hogwarts. I don't have any formal qualifications and even if you were to forge them or create them I wouldn't have the back knowledge for it all to stand…"

Dumbledore held up a hand, ending her protestations.

"At present our Care of Magical Creatures post is filled, most satisfactorily, by our own Rubeus Hagrid. However with his dual role as groundskeeper as well as professor I fear Hagrid is being stretched too thin. His having an assistant; both in his lessons and on the grounds, I think would levy his burden considerably. As for the reasons for your not attending Hogwarts as a student – we have one other on our staff of a similar background and I believe his story would most easily be taken as yours. I believe if you named yourself a Squib then attention would not be put upon you; at least not in terms of your background."

Ana raised her brows in surprise.

"You want me to tell people I'm a Squib? But I…" she stopped for a moment thinking it through. What better reason for nothing to be known about her past? What better way to avoid detection, for people to not make the link between her and the Order? Dumbledore was known for employing the outcasts of society; a werewolf, a former Death Eater and already one Squib…why not another? A small smile broke out across her face;

"…that's brilliant," she murmured, "Absolutely brilliant."

Dumbledore inclined his head, accepting the praise.

"I know you have not met Hagrid, Ana, but he is most happy to enter into this arrangement…if it would be suitable to you."

For a moment Ana just sat there staring at Dumbledore. To go to Hogwarts…not the Hogwarts she had known but the one Sirius and Remus and Snape and all the others had told her about…Hogwarts in its glory days…

"You mean it? I could go to Hogwarts?" she asked; almost surprised at the slight tremor in her voice as she spoke. Squib or not Hogwarts would be an idyll she had never dared to hope for.

"Indeed you can…and if you happen to learn a few things along the way well…all the better."

Ana let out a gasp of laughter, looking around the table at all the smiling faces as she felt elation bubble up in her. It had always been a dream of hers, an unattainable one in her time, to be able to go to the great school. To see the Hogwarts Express, to be in the classrooms, meet some of the teachers who were not members of the Order or had died before their times, to…

"Yes!" she answered, remembering she hadn't spoken a reply. "Yes; I would love to!"

Dumbledore smiled his sedate smile, blue eyes twinkling as ever, and added,

"Very well; I shall fill you in on your post at a later time. Is there any other business to bring forth in this meeting?" he looked around the table, waiting for a reply, "No? Very well; then I shall call us adjourned."

Everyone immediately began chattering amongst themselves. Snape, as always, rose with a swift word and a nod to the group and departed before he could be wheedled into staying longer by Molly. Ana watched the black clad figure sweep from the room; he had been distant but not as cold since she had spoken to him in the hallway in July, and when he was gone she looked again down to the paper in her hands. Seeing her name in black and white gave her an odd sense of…belonging. It was as though for the past two months she hadn't quite been real and now it was all falling into place. She had a job at Hogwarts and a home, people who were fast becoming the friends they had once been to her, new acquaintances, Grimmauld Place was looking more like the home she had known with every passing day…

"Let's see!" Sirius had crept up on her whilst she had been reading and thinking and suddenly swooped down to look at the certificate from over her shoulder.

**_Name and Surname; Lantana Lilly Harte_**

"Lilly?" he asked quickly, looking from the paper to her, "Your middle name is Lilly?"

She saw Harry Potter look up sharply at the mention of his mother's name and quickly interjected Sirius' words with her own.

"One more L than the infamous Lily Potter but still a Lilly – yes. It wasn't uncommon in my time," she looked to Harry with a kind smile and continued, "Your mother was a hero – my parents honoured me with her name; even if it was spelt wrongly."

Harry gave her a beatific smile which made his still young face shine. Her heart clenched at the sight of it, even as she smiled back; so young to have such responsibility…

"And your first name is Lantana?" Sirius exclaimed, "What secrets you have kept!"

She laughed and responded with as much sauce as she could,

"Wouldn't you be secretive if your first name was that of a mildly toxic shrub plant?"

This caused Sirius to chuckle heartily.

"Try having a name like Sirius and then also happening to turn into a dog when in Animagus form…believe me the jokes Remus and James had at my expense..."

She heard Lupin call down the table,

"You could always give it out, but take it? Not one of your strong points Padfoot!" Remus' words caused Sirius to once again break into laughter whilst adding under his breath, smile still firmly in place,

"He's only saying that because he's jealous of my dashing good looks…"

"Well you know in Greek Sirius means burning. You could have always been named for your smouldering stare…or your flammable temper…or your crash and burn so called jokes…"

Sirius gave her a light shove and looked once again to the birth certificate.

"No parents listed," he commented, pulling up a chair beside her, "Didn't you…?"

"My mother was a Muggle; I doubt naming her or not would make a world of difference and my father…well; my father wouldn't want to be named I don't think. It seems unfair to both of them to try to…" she stopped and smiled much more brightly than was necessary, "It's complicated. Plus this way my Squib status will just be further cemented; no one would want to be named as parents of a Squib."

"You're not wrong there." he smiled gently. "They do have a bit of a stigma attached…anyway who needs blood relatives when you've a family like this?" he exclaimed, widening his arms to encompass the table.

Many were standing, preparing to leave, whilst others were still chattering away in small groups. Harry, Ron and the Weasley twins were in a tight group and looked as though they were up to no good. Hermione, Ginny and Tonks were laughing at Tonks' rapidly metamorphing pig's face changing into that of a duck. Arthur and Molly were deep in conversation with Kingsley whilst Remus was talking with Dumbledore.

"Who indeed?" she answered; honestly meaning it with every fibre of her being.

* * *

><p>"Sirius?"<p>

She had been looking all over the house for him. Downstairs in the hall was the bustling of Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Mr and Mrs Weasley and their assorted bags, coats and, in Ron's case, a whining tone as he begged his mother to hurry up. Presiding over them all was an increasingly irate Alastor Moody; she hadn't seen him since she had arrived in ninety six and at his arrival he had been more suspicious of her than anyone. However once she had placated him with several truths he could not deny, narrowly avoiding having to take Veritaserum as an 'extra precaution', he had accepted her in his usual apathetic manner.

She came to the door of the room housing the Black family tree and knocked before stepping inside. He was there, as she had guessed he might be, looking at some particularly scorched part of the tree. Since the preparations for the children to return to Hogwarts had begun he had become more and more despondent; spending increasing amounts of time staring at the family tree as though hoping to glean something from it. She knew he was loathe to give up Harry yet again; and even more loathe to be trapped in the house for another three months alone whilst everyone else left to go about their lives or, in the Order's case, their missions.

"Sirius?" he didn't turn around but she knew he was listening and so she continued, "I've just come to say that Alastor has asked me to join the guard; taking the children to fetch their school things in Diagon Alley requires more than three of age individuals apparently."

"Right, bye then." he murmured, still studying the tapestry. She could sense the sullen note to his voice; she could hardly blame him. He had gone from being in one prison for twelve years only to escape into another.

"They're going to visit the twin's new store, it's having a roaring trade I hear – most diverting apparently…one of the few places doing good business in the Alley now."

He didn't reply so she continued.

"It's doing so well in fact that I thought it might be a little too crowded for us all to go in. I had to ask Moody's permission, of course, but I've been given the all clear to explore the more uninhabited parts in and around the Alley whilst I'm there. Get a bit of headspace."

Again there was no reply. However she ploughed on regardless,

"I thought it might be an excellent opportunity to take my dog for a walk."

Instantly his attention was on her, his grey eyes boring into her black.

"Great shaggy thing he is, black as night, not much of a looker but we take what we can get…" she was smiling now and she could see the understanding dawn in his own eyes as she continued, "He hasn't been out in a while and I think he could do with it – of course Moody was dead set against the idea but I promised him I'd keep to the shadows…"

"You mean I can come with you?" he asked, hope lacing his voice.

"Yes, but…" she cut off before his smile could become any wider than it already was, "…but you stay in Animagus form at all times, you do not under any circumstances leave my sight and if we have to leave you do so as soon as I tell you. Moody's rules, not mine, though I'll be enforcing them – to the letter."

"You're a gem, a bloody gem!" Sirius exclaimed bounding over.

"I do try," she answered; moving towards the door, "Get your growl on; we leave in twenty minutes – any longer and I fear Moody will Avada Kedavra himself and all of us with him."

* * *

><p>Sirius trotted docilely at her heel, though she could practically feel the springing energy straining within him, desperate to break free. His nose twitched at every scent and he was panting with excitement at being outdoors.<p>

They had left Moody, the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione at Fred and George's shop. She had taken Sirius down a particularly deserted street and now they were marching out into more and more areas which were rapidly becoming ever emptier the further on they went. She had veered far away from Knockturn Alley; there was no telling who might be lingering down there, not least Death Eaters and their supporters who might just recognise Sirius' Animagus form. She knew it was taking a risk; letting him out in any form in broad daylight in any place, but she also knew that if he stayed in Grimmauld Place much longer he was going to go stir crazy.

Finally they found a twisting route which led off from Diagon Alley proper. The street sign was faded but she could make out the barely there words of 'Infinite Alley'. She looked down at Sirius and muttered,

"Let's hope that's not literal."

After ten minutes of strolling along and not seeing a single other soul, and being surrounded by nothing other than a rapidly diminishing number of boarded up stores, Ana was beginning to think that perhaps it was – very literal.

"We should think about heading back now…" she began.

Sirius whined; a low keening sound which caused her to hesitate. She had promised Moody she would be no more than half an hour – in order to keep that promise they ought to turn back now. However as Sirius' large eyes looked up at her beseechingly her resistance cracked, crumbled and departed completely.

"Don't you give me that look mister…five more minutes, you hear me? Five more and then we are definitely, no questions asked, going back."

He gave a little yip in reply and bounded forward a couple of steps; his way of telling her to get a move on. She smiled, shaking her head at the thought of what anyone watching them would think, before continuing onwards after him. When he continued bounding out in front she called out, using his canine name as a precaution,

"Snuffles! Keep where I can see you!"

She saw a corner up ahead, which he promptly rounded, and she dashed forwards after him. However when she rounded the corner it was to find him standing stock still, hackles raised and a low growl emanating from his throat. Up ahead were two men; one of them she did not recognise and yet the other she knew only too well…

"Yaxley," she whispered, taking a half step back.

However at that precise moment Yaxley's companion chose to look up. She could see that between them, Yaxley holding it and his companion looking down on it, was some form of book. She saw Yaxley's eyes rise with his fellow's – however whereas the other man kept his gaze fixed on Ana Yaxley's slipped down to her side, to…

"BLACK!" he yelled, whipping out his wand and pointing it straight at Sirius. Ana's own wand was out within half a second and she threw a stunning spell straight at Yaxley. He deflected it and turned his attention to her, even as his companion drew his own wand.

"Kill the dog!" Yaxley shouted.

The man complied, raising his wand and throwing a jet of green light directly at Sirius' form. Immediately Sirius rolled to the side, as he did so regaining his human form, coming to a stop behind her protective stance as she threw another curse at Yaxley. He countered it yet again and she ducked as he sent a killing curse slicing through the air. She reached back, pressing a hand on Sirius' head to keep him down with her as the spell passed effortlessly above them, whilst her wand arm directed a stunning spell at Yaxley's companion. He had obviously thought Yaxley had finished her as he was not expecting the curse. He tried to counter it; but his casting was a moment too late and it hit him directly in the chest – causing him to slump in the street. Yaxley however had not stood idle and even as she stunned his colleague he sent another spell streaming towards her. However Sirius had now recovered his wand after his transformation and, directing his wand at Yaxley, he barked out a freezing charm which passed just above Yaxley's own curse and caused the blonde man to fall to the ground; stiff as a board. Sirius and Ana then both, in tandem, whirled aside; her to the right and him to the left, as Yaxley's spell passed between them.

For a long moment as they sat upon the Alley floor everything was silent. Then, looking over to see if Sirius was alright, she pulled herself to her feet and muttered,

"Bloody hell…that was unexpected."

Sirius scrambled to his feet himself, wrapping the coat he usually used when transforming tightly around his form and answering almost jovially,

"Best action I've had in weeks."

She laughed at his typically flippant reaction to them almost being killed and approached Yaxley and his comrade. Though his friend was lying unconscious on the floor Yaxley's cold blue eyes were glaring up at her from the ground. She raised her wand and pointed it to his brow.

"Wait a minute, what are you…?" Sirius exclaimed.

"Memory charm," she replied, "Don't want them to remember seeing you; much less fighting you. You do that one," she gestured with a nod of her head to the unconscious man, "I'm thinking along the lines of; met Yaxley, talked Death Eater stuff, left. Keep it simple, it's usually harder to see as a charm if you do."

"I know how to do a memory charm," Sirius mumbled; however the gleeful note in his voice hadn't quite yet gone away. He had enjoyed the duel…and she couldn't pretend that the fight hadn't done her some good. It felt like an eternity since she had last had to defend herself in a fight to the death. She performed the charm before stunning Yaxley and then looking to Sirius.

"So what do we do with them now?" she asked, "If they wake up on the floor they're going to suspect that something is up…"

"Doesn't matter…as long as they don't know it was us." Sirius reasoned, putting away his wand. He reached down to pick up the book that lay between the two men.

"What is it?" she asked, coming to his side and looking down at the volume with him.

"Something dark; I don't know. Bring it back with us and Remus can have a look at it."

"Yeah, I'll…oh shit!" she exclaimed, "I said we'd only be half an hour – we've been gone…well nearly half an hour now and it'll take twenty minutes to walk back to Diagon Alley…"

"Hey!" he interrupted, a placating hand on her arm his attempt at calming her panic, "Don't worry – just tell them what…"

"…happened?" she finished, "If I tell them that you were seen by Death Eaters and we had to duel them and then wipe their memories you'll never be allowed out of the house again!"

At his stricken look she tempered her words with,

"I'll say I found the book and as for why we're so late…" she looked around for inspiration. "I'll just say I got lost. I haven't been in Diagon Alley for years; it's an easy enough excuse."

She looked at him to see he was giving her a strange look.

"What?" she asked, slightly defensively. If it turned out that she had something on her face…

"Nothing…it's just…you're being really good to me; have been since you got here." he answered quietly; eliciting a warm smile from her.

"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked, "Just because you're a moody, grouchy, obstinate alcoholic with a distinct wet dog smell about you…"

He growled menacingly before she quickly added,

"But I forgive you it all for your dashing good looks and devastating humour."

He nodded approvingly before winking at her and, without so much as a moment's thought, morphing once more back into his canine form. She reached down and scratched him delicately between the ears before murmuring,

"It was good having you as a duelling partner again. Though you have let yourself go a little; your form was downright sloppy…"

Another growl followed by him purposefully tripping back towards Diagon Alley caused her to smile softly as, wrapping the book under her arm, she followed him. She hoped Moody wouldn't be too furious with her for being late…

* * *

><p>"…agree a time you DAMN WELL STICK TO IT!" Moody was going from murmuring poisonously under his breath to occasionally barking out some choice words and then going back to his incessant muttering. He had taken her and Sirius' lateness, though only by five minutes thanks to them running down the last stretch of Infinite Alley and throughout the entire length of Diagon Alley to the Weasley's shop, very badly.<p>

"I am sorry Alastor," she said for the thousandth time, "I just don't know this place as well as I thought I did…"

Her excuse was met by a displeased harrumph.

"Ah well dear, no harm done," Mrs Weasley interjected, "Now did you get everything you needed? You're going to want some things for Hogwarts; teaching robes would be too formal for grounds work but perhaps a pair for your first evening might be worthwhile? And I knew Sirius gave you some materials for dresses but for Hogwarts perhaps something a little smarter…?"

"Now, Molly, don't pester the girl," Arthur stepped in with a genial smile.

"Actually Albus sent a parcel with everything I could possibly need the day after I accepted his offer. Teaching robes included; two pairs, just to be safe."

"Oh wonderful!" Molly exclaimed, "Well that's a relief isn't it? I do wish Hogwarts sent out robes for the children too; the hours we've spent in Madam Malkins'…" she veered off into a long speech about waiting for fittings and how busy it could all be.

Ana's eyes were drawn to Harry, Ron and Hermione who were all up ahead in a tight knit group talking in hushed tones. She wondered whether they had all been as impressed by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes's as Ginny seemed to be. She looked down at the girl, who was walking on the other side of Sirius, who had been secreted in the centre of the group so that attention didn't fall on him, studying a small purple puff ball in the palm of her hand.

"What's that?" Ana asked, looking at the thing as it wriggled around.

"A Pygmy Puff," Ginny answered, "I'm going to call him Arnold."

"A fine name indeed," Ana answered, smiling as the girl tickled the creature with her little finger, causing it to squirm.

She looked down to Sirius, who was trotting obediently at her side, but she couldn't help thinking that he had rather lost the spring in his step; more so with every moment they came nearer to going back to Grimmauld Place.

"I think I might take Snuffles out again sometime," she announced in an airy tone, "Perhaps I could Apparate us somewhere remote; so he could take a walk without getting fussed by every passing woman who takes a shine. Not too often, of course, but just enough to keep him active."

"Good idea!" condoned Mr Weasley, "Nice for the old chap to get a bit of air now and again. Couldn't be done before, all of us too well known you understand, but as an unknown you'll probably get by nicely!"

"Risky," muttered Moody.

"I'll take the risk," she replied under her breath. She felt Sirius buffet against her leg and as she looked down he reached his head up to snuffle her palm with his cold, damp nose.

"If you start with the licking I might have to hurt you." she murmured.

He simply yipped in reply.


	13. Upon the Fields of Golden Green

**Upon the Fields of Golden Green (September 1996)**

She sat on a log beside a towering oak tree as she watched Sirius stroll around; occasionally stopping and stretching his body and limbs languorously, watching the contented smile on his face as he took in the countryside surrounding them. Ana had chosen for what would be their final excursion before she left Grimmauld Place for Hogwarts a particularly picturesque, and completely abandoned, rural location. A wide field; golden grass and green topped trees as far as the eye could see, encompassed the entire area. With the autumn haze which only September could bear dancing around them it was truly beautiful. A perfect end to what she feared would be their final summer without the shroud of darkness choking them all. The Dark Lord's forces were amassing all the time, attacks becoming more frequent, deaths more common…she shook her head. She would not spoil this moment of peace with black thoughts.

Sirius had, as usual, remained in Animagus form until she had secured the surrounding area with enough repelling charms to scare away a herd of small elephants without making them any the wiser as to what they were turning away from. She smiled indulgently as he stopped and prepared once more to stretch.

"You're acting like you've been trapped in a box all this time as opposed to a house; you do move when you're home don't you?" she teased as once again he raised his arms above his head and pulled at one elbow, and then the other, in a wildly over the top movement.

"Isn't it just a big box, that place?" he answered with a smile.

"A really big box…" she insisted, "in fact…not really all that box like at all when you think about it…more, oh, I don't know…house like?"

"Alright Miss Smarts it's not the smallest prison ever – but it still is one. Will be for a while after today; I'm not allowed out without mother to watch my every move."

He spoke the last part with a particular bitterness. She could understand it but at the same time she didn't want their last few, snatched minutes of time together alone to be spoiled by bitter thoughts any more than dark ones.

"Mother? Merlin forbid," she answered blithely; eliciting a bark of laughter from him.

He finally came over to sit beside her. She shuffled over so that he could have room and for a few moments they simply stayed there, silent and yet comfortable, looking out across the fields towards the woodland beyond, breathing in the fresh autumnal air.

"I've missed the outdoors," he murmured, "I'll miss it more now I've had it again only for it to be taken away."

"Sirius," she whispered, unable to hide the softness in her tone, "I'll try and come back to Grimmauld Place as often as I can – or perhaps someone else can escort you…?"

"They're always too busy," he interjected, "Too busy with their missions, being useful, being important…too busy for the leaden cauldron I've become."

She looked over to see the sadness on his face. He usually hid it so well but now beneath his moustache she could see the slight downturn of his mouth, she could see the clear wistfulness in his grey eyes. She could also see the dark circles beneath his eyes; he hadn't been sleeping. Gently she reached over and, placing a curled finger beneath his chin, she turned his head round so his pale eyes met her dark ones.

"You are not useless," she began, "No; don't interrupt. I'll say my piece and then you can do what you like; oh obstinate one. You're not useless, Sirius, not even close. Harry needs you – Harry, who is the most important of us all, would be lost without you. Your presence gives him strength, gives me strength too come to that, and Remus and so many of the others. We all care about you; we would all be a little less than what we are without you and that makes you just as important. We wouldn't have a Headquarters without you! You saved Harry at the Ministry. You fought so bravely in the first war, endured so much hardship in Azkaban…" she hesitated before adding, "I know you don't think anyone understands what you went through there but, believe me, I do – I understand perfectly. I know how hard it is and you are doing so beautifully, so much better than…"

She stopped with a weak smile and looked away.

"So much better than…what? You expected?" he let out another of his barking laughs; there was something so hound-like about him, even when he wasn't transformed.

She closed her eyes for a moment; did she really want to get into this? Once she said the words she couldn't unsay them. Ana slowly breathed out; what was the point in being here with him, trying to get through to him, if she couldn't even trust him?

"Better than I did when I got out." she whispered.

At first he said nothing and she had to open her eyes to make sure he had heard. However when she did so it was to see him staring at her; his eyes piercing as though he were trying to solve an impossible puzzle.

"You were in Azkaban?" he breathed finally.

"Six months," she answered, "Just six months but…" she swallowed, trying to fight the coldness which was threatening to overcome to warm September sun, "…it was a very different place to the prison which now exists…much more…brutal."

"More brutal?" he asked in an emotionless tone, "Try spending fourteen years in a cage whilst Dementors suck out every happy thought you ever had as you go slowly, painfully insane whilst everyone you loved turns against you on the outside."

She did not answer for a long time. She was already regretting her decision to share her memories. It was too raw; the nightmares still came to her in full, rich, vibrant, bloody detail and speaking about them just made the whole thing seem too real. Her dreams were still plagued by Death Eaters and Dementors and pain…however she knew there had to be an answer. She had to tell him everything; it was the only way he'd understand – the only way he might be able to trust her enough to move past the darkness within.

"I was captured on a mission. When they threw me in there I knew what was going to happen. I knew I wasn't getting the Kiss, despite my status as a high ranking Undesirable, because now they had me they had half the puzzle; because I had something they wanted. They wanted information; about the Order, about Headquarters and my friends…they send Legilimens in at first; one and then another and then droves of them – all pounding at the gates to my mind, trying to weasel out information. M…Snape taught me how to defend my mind; he's the best there is and none of the amateurs they sent could get anywhere near my thoughts; not even the best of them could defeat me. Voldemort didn't want to come to Azkaban; he didn't want to be anywhere near a place housing so many of his enemies. The stronger he got the more paranoid he became. All the Order were trained to resist Veritaserum; difficult but not impossible, so that was useless. I was throwing up for a weak once when they gave me twelve drops of pure solution; a last desperate bid. So with Legilimency off the cards and truth serums a bust he thought that there might be another way to get me to talk."

She stopped and drew in a deep, shaking breath. Sirius said nothing from her side; he simply sat, a comforting presence and yet also the reason she was reliving the most difficult, the most painful and degrading and…

"At first it was once every other day. The Cruciatus Curse, the Sectumsempra Curse, Stinging Jinxes, hexes, others…anything they could think of. Lucius Malfoy oversaw it all at first but eventually he was the one to dole it out; curse after curse – eventually he just used the Cruciatus, it was obviously the one that affected me the most. Then it was daily, every day, without fail. Sometimes more than once a day; hours and hours and hours of screaming and fighting and trying to keep the words I knew that would save me inside my head and not let them win. I could hear my own screams ringing in my ears when I stayed conscious and if I didn't…"

She reached up and gestured to her dress.

"Do you ever wonder why I only wear high necked, long sleeved things? Why I never let you see any more of me than the slightest glimpse? It isn't maidenly modesty,"

She pulled the ties at her bodice, loosening them so she could pull down the panels and reveal the flesh beneath, her hands fumbling in her haste. There, just below her collarbone, was a tattoo, similar to the one upon Sirius' chest, inked in the blackest ink; irreversible, irremovable…she knew he would know that. It was the size of her palm and, though she didn't show him, she knew he was aware there were many more or the old world markings in much worse places. She had only unlaced to the tops of her breasts. If she had continued there would have been…

"They still used these to remind us, in my time, to make us shamed so that even if we broke, even if we escaped or were released or…no matter what we could never forget. I'd wake up after they'd tortured me into unconsciousness and I'd find a new one there and I'd cry because I didn't know what else to do." her voice trembled as the tears threatened to spill, "I'd wish I was dead because I didn't know what else to do."

Finally she looked up at him. His eyes were fixed upon the tattoo for a number of long seconds before rising slowly until he was studying her; her eyes, her face; it was like he was looking deep inside and finding nothing but pain within. Yet she could see in his eyes the pain of his own memories, close to hers, mingled with regret.

"Don't tell me I don't understand. I understand perfectly. We both have our demons Sirius; everyone in the Order has something to be afraid of lurking in their past. But it's how we fight that demon inside that makes us who we are."

There was quiet for a stretch of time; only the gentle sound of the breeze rustling the leaves above them interrupting what would otherwise be silence. Then, slowly, Sirius reached over and, pulling together the panels at the front of her bodice, began re-lacing that which she had taken apart. Her breath hitched as his fingers brushed her skin. If he noticed her reaction he said nothing of it. He kept to his task in quiet for a few moments, inked fingers lacing and pulling with the gentlest of movements, before he said suddenly,

"I know I'm a selfish bastard sometimes; it's being so cocky that does it. Lupin always tried to temper it in me and James…" he trailed off with a soft chuckle, "James fuelled the fire until he got it together with Lily and then he grew out of it; left me to my ways. She taught him to grow up but no one ever taught me that and then by the time I might have been ready to learn…well; Azkaban stops you from maturing in the way you should I suppose."

He reached the top and paused before loosening it slightly, leaving a few centimetres of what little unmarked skin she had there exposed. He then smiled gently and tucked a stray piece of her long black hair behind her ear.

"I won't hide me if you don't hide you. Deal?" he asked.

"Deal," she answered in a breath.

He nodded before rising and offering her his arm.

"Once more around the Oak before we have to go back?"

She nodded, rose, and took the proffered arm, using the movement as an opportunity to brush away the tears that were on her cheeks. She didn't want him to know just how much their conversation had affected her.

"I'll miss you when you go," he said suddenly as they began walking, "I didn't really notice it before but it's nice to have you in the house – just knowing you're there. It's nice."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she answered, "And I'll come back as often as I can. If I can I'll try to see if I can be spared some weekends or evenings and I'll definitely be back at the holidays. In the mean time I'll keep the children safe. I'll keep Harry safe."

He squeezed her hand where it rested on the inside of his elbow. They made their sedate, wide circle around the Oak and finally came to a stop.

"Home?" he asked quietly.

"Home," she answered, "But this won't be the last time we do this; I promise."

He nodded with a smile and tightened his grip on her. With one last look at the beautiful countryside she murmured, not looking at him as she did so,

"I'll miss you too."

Then, without waiting for a reply, not needing one in truth, turned on the spot and Disapparated.


	14. The Hogwarts Express

**The Hogwarts Express (September 1996)**

"Ah now tha'll be the train there…" Hagrid announced into the rapidly falling dusk.

Ana nodded, smiling as the bright red Hogwarts Express rolled around the corner to a deafening chugging sound, accompanied for good measure by a whistle announcing its presence. She had been at Hogwarts only twenty four hours; arriving along with the other staff the day before the pupils, and it had been rather a crash course in school life. However she had loved every moment; from seeing her new accommodations (Dumbledore had extended Hagrid's cabin, in fitting with her co-groundskeeper position, so that she could have her own, sealed off section with a separate entrance and hot water on tap whilst still having Hagrid on hand), to being led around the castle by a brisk but kind Professor McGonagall to getting to know the warm, friendly and at times overwhelming Rubeus Hagrid. Many eyebrows had been raised when she had been introduced to the staff but Dumbledore's reputation for collection waifs and strays was legendary and so that knowledge alone had covered her slightly odd last minute appearance.

She watched as the train slowly came to a stop and, moments later, students began disembarking. She smiled up at Hagrid; who nodded for her to complete her first mission under Hogwarts employ – ensure Harry Potter reached the castle safely. She wove through the crowds; Hagrid's bellowing 'Firs' years t'me!' ringing above the chatter and laughter, as she searched for Harry Potter. Soon enough she caught sight of a red head amongst the droves and, luckily for her, she had chosen the most likely of the Weasley bunch to know where Harry was – Ronald Weasley. At his side was Hermione Granger but, Ana noticed with a twinge of worry already poking at her gut, Harry was not with them.

"Weasley!" she called out; barely containing a chuckle as Ron immediately began to look around wildly – no doubt wondering what he'd done wrong so early in the term.

"Weasley, over here!" she shouted again. Finally Ron's eye alighted on her and he gave her a relieved grin before, after saying something to Hermione first, coming over with Granger in tow.

"Alright Ana?" he asked genially.

"Miss Harte," Hermione corrected at once, "She's a member of staff now Ron!"

"Quite so Miss Granger," answered Ana, though she tempered her words with a swift wink; the kind Sirius used when he was up to no good, "And as we have obviously never met before, Mr Weasley, I think formality is best."

Ron had the grace to blush at his mistake however Ana brushed it off; there were more important things to think of.

"Now I see your party is one short. It cannot be possible that Potter has already gotten himself into trouble not ten seconds into the school year?"

The exchange of worried glances between the two friends told her that her presumption was in fact the truth.

"Blessed Merlin; really? Come on; did he miss the train? Not get on the platform? Get eaten by Doxies? Or perhaps just become consumed by his growing reputation as the Chosen One and therefore mysteriously vanish?"

"He was on the train!" Hermione interrupted earnestly. "We all got on together and then he said he needed some air, left our carriage and…well – he never came back."

Ana frowned; that didn't sound good.

"He hasn't gotten off the train?" she asked the pair; her eyes narrowing as her mind ran through a plethora of possibilities.

"No; we waited but he never got off." Ron jumped in.

"Right," she murmured, "Right…" she looked around to see that the platform was all but cleared. Looking back she saw that Hagrid was already leading the first years away to the boats. "…you two go on up to the castle; three people late to dinner on the first night, especially you three, will raise questions. I'll find Harry and we'll follow you."

She saw that both Ron and Hermione looked uneasy at the thought of leaving Harry behind.

"Go on," she smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, "I'll find him."

Finally they nodded and went off together, almost instantly falling into the good old 'explore every possible terrible option in great detail and get yourself really worried' game. Ana turned and looked to the Hogwarts Express; studying the train as if it could give her the answers she needed. All the blinds were down; she noted suddenly, was that normal? Surely the children would want to look out of the windows…?

The sound of a carriage door opening along the far right of the train caused Ana's thoughts to be broken. She looked up, wondering if Harry had merely taken a while to collect all of his things and was now getting off safe and sound, to see that the figure disembarking so much later than all the others was definitely not Harry Potter.

Cool blonde hair was neatly combed atop a pale face with icy blue eyes. The boy's cheekbones were razor sharp and the look on his face was one that could rival his father's – a sneer which looked down upon everything and everyone it fell on. She found herself waking towards him before she could stop herself; the child who looked so much like the man who had tortured her in Azkaban, and it was only when his eyes met hers that she realised that this was not Lucius Malfoy. Draco Malfoy passed her by with a strange look and she found herself turning as he passed, watching him walk down the platform towards where the last of the horseless carriages were preparing to leave. Shaking her head slightly as he disappeared from view she looked to the door of the train where he had exited. A suspicion forming in her mind she opened the door slowly and stepped up into the train.

It took no conscious thought at all for her wand to find its way into her grasp. She tightened her grip on the firm wood as she slowly took one step, and then another, along the train, listening for any sound which might alert her to the presence of another. She opened the door to pass into a compartment, looking around for any signs of stragglers. However she found no one there; nor in the next compartment, nor the next…

A sudden noise from behind caused her to turn so swiftly that the world was a blur as she went; pointing her wand straight and true and coming face to face with…

"Tonks?" she breathed, lowering her wand and watching as the other woman did the same. Nymphadora Tonks did not look her usual self, Ana noted, much more bland than usual; brown hair, pallid skin, eyes which were drained of sparkle and life.

"Wotcher Ana, yeah, it's just me." she spoke as she usually did but the bounce was no longer in her voice. Perhaps she had been shaken by having a wand thrust in her face.

"Merlin above I almost cursed you!" Ana exclaimed.

"Sorry about that, was looking for…"

"Harry," Ana finished, "Me too – you noticed he didn't get off the train?"

"Yeah; I was only meant to be on the Hogsmeade watch but heard the Express had rolled in and wanted to make sure everything went off alright."

"Well we've lost Potter the first day of school; not even off the train and already vanished into thin air, so not doing too well I'm afraid." Ana answered. If anything had happened to Harry…

"Well I'll help you find him," Tonks announced, "You take that end of the train and I'll take this one," she gestured over her shoulder to the compartments behind her, "If he's here we'll track him down."

Ana gave the Auror a grateful smile before turning and continuing down the train. Soon enough the sound of the other woman's footsteps faded away as she passed into another carriage.

"Harry?" Ana called out, "Harry Potter – are you here?"

There was no response. So either he wasn't on the train…or he was unable to reply.

She opened another door and stepped into another carriage. This one was the same as all the others. She looked around and, seeing that no one was there, began to move forwards, meaning to go to the next one before turning back to see if Tonks had found anything. That was when she stepped on something. She looked down, removing her foot instantly from the soft feeling, almost cushiony, thing beneath her foot. However when she looked there was nothing there; nothing where her foot had been except for the carpeting of the carriage floor.

Ana slowly knelt down and tentatively put out a hand. It came into contact with something…but her eyes could detect no object on the ground. So it had to be something invisible…but why would someone leave an invisible item on a…? Something Sirius said to her suddenly came flooding back.

_'…of course he inherited his father's streak for breaking the rules. James couldn't have made it easier – leaving the boy an invisibility cloak means his teachers don't have a chance…'_

She pinched what felt like the edge of the form; grasping something that felt like material and pulling. When that met with resistance she dropped a layer and tried again. This time her efforts were successful; revealed before her as if from thin air was a very frozen, and very bloody, Harry Potter – staring up at her with eyes which were wide, green and expressionless.

"Bloody hell," she breathed. "Finite Incantatem."

To her relief Harry instantly moved; a freezing charm then – she let out a shaky breath in relief. The boy levered himself up unsteadily before clutching his sluggishly bleeding nose with both hands. She shook her head, smiling as he offered up a muffled word of thanks.

"Let me see," she murmured, moving his hands away and examining the bloody pulp which was his nose. It was broken; severely broken from what she could see, and the blood was still streaming from it like there was no tomorrow.

"How did this happen?" she asked, her voice sounding loud in the silence of the train.

"Malpoy," he answered, his broken nose distorting his voice.

"Ah; I thought so – I saw him getting off the train after everyone else," she frowned for a moment, giving his nose one last look, before adding, "I can fix this, if you like?"

"Bill it hurb?" he muttered, voice thick.

"Not at all," she answered, "Be done in a jiffy."

He nodded his assent and she pointed her wand at his nose. Then, taking a moment to imagine his nose as it was before the break, she whispered,

"Episkey."

There was a crack followed by a yell as Harry's hands flew to his nose.

"You said it wouldn't hurt!" he exclaimed.

"I lied," she smiled before rising and holding out a hand to help him up. He took it, with a dark look, before looking at his reflection in the train window to check that his nose was truly back to normal.

"Come on, Harry, you wouldn't have let me do it if I told you it would hurt like hellfire."

The sound of running footsteps caused Harry to draw his wand in alarm. However Ana reached out and placed a hand on his arm, staying his actions.

"It's just Tonks," she reassured him.

A moment later the woman herself stumbled into the compartment; wand drawn and her pale skin flushed from the exertion of running the length of the train.

"I heard a…" she began.

"Just fixing a broken nose," Ana interjected, gesturing to Harry's bloody clothes.

"Malfoy," Harry clarified.

"Ah," Tonks said, "Bad break…no pun and all that. Come on then, you two had best get to the castle before you're missed. Word is there's more Aurors than Dumbledore expected; enough for a troop to come storming down here if Harry doesn't make the Sorting Feast."

Ana, Tonks and Harry all got off the train, Harry still occasionally touching his nose as though afraid the spell which had fixed it would come undone at any moment. Ana looked at Tonks again; she really did seem…washed out. Perhaps her Auror duties teamed with those she was being given to complete for the Order were becoming too much? Ana took note to keep an eye on the woman.

"Well I'll leave you two here; got some patrolling to do, night both."

Tonks sounded bright as she spoke but the light didn't reach her eyes. With what seemed to be a jaunty wave the other woman disappeared from the platform and into the night; leaving Ana and Harry alone.

"Come on messy," Ana sighed, taking Harry's arm and steering him in the direction of the castle, "Best get you to the Great Hall before problems arise."

Their walk was brisk. She didn't dare Apparate them to the gates for fear that one of the students would see her performing magic; or one of the teachers come to that. She couldn't be caught out in a lie on her first day; she was a Squib, that was all she needed to remember, she was a Squib, a…

"Ana?" Harry asked after a period of silence.

"Miss Harte, Harry," she corrected gently, "You don't know me as anything other than a weird part groundskeeper part teaching assistant hybrid – remember?"

"Yeah, of course, Miss Harte," he replied, "Do you know…well that is to say…what do you know about Draco Malfoy?"

She knew what that question meant. It didn't mean what did she know about the sixteen year old Slytherin student…he was asking about the Draco from the future.

"Nothing," she answered truthfully, "He died; twenty or so at the time I think. Made his father a bitter man, his mother a recluse, they both resented the new rule by the time I made the jump in time. They both regretted their choices, convinced they led to their son's death…" she stopped. It was difficult to feel sorry for Lucius Malfoy after all he had done to her. All those scars he had inflicted…

"Oh," Harry said dully. "So Draco was a Death Eater then?"

Ana almost laughed.

"Half the population were Death Eaters Harry. Half the population served him and him alone and the other half were willing participants in his regime. Very few stood up against him and those who did either died quick deaths or spent their lives in hiding. Those who were alive and remembered the old days didn't have the courage anymore…not after twenty years of his rule. Many forgot freedom even existed…but let's not talk about that future. That future will never happen; not now. That Draco Malfoy will never exist."

"But what if he does? What if Malfoy is…what if he's a Death Eater?"

Ana frowned; thinking over the question - could Draco Malfoy be a Death Eater? He was underage but then Voldemort didn't care much about that sort of thing. He was still at school…but perhaps an insider at Hogwarts could be of use…someone other than Snape? Someone unexpected, like a child, would be the perfect spy. What if Draco Malfoy had been branded, had become…

"Miss Harte? Ana? Ana?"

She looked up, startled out of her thoughts by Harry's calling her name. She turned her head to him, seeing him watching her, waiting for her answer.

"I would say that if that were the case, Harry, then we should be keeping a careful eye on Mr Malfoy. But do you have proof of it?"

"I saw him in Borgin and Burkes, he was buying something…"

"The Malfoys are patrons of Borgin and Burkes, seeing them in there means nothing."

"…there was a cabinet and lots of people and it looked like a ceremony and…"

"Or Narcissa Malfoy and friends were trying to sell some of the inevitable dark paraphernalia her husband has accumulated so that when their house is inevitably searched again in the future nothing will be found…"

Harry went quiet.

"Look, Harry, I'm not brushing you off; I promise I'll look into it. But what I'm saying is going around telling people Malfoy is a Death Eater with no proof will achieve nothing. So just…keep it between us for a bit, yeah? I'll tell you if I find anything out."

He nodded with an eager look; obviously pleased someone was taking him seriously.

"Here we are," she murmured as they crested the steady slope and came within view of the castle gates. Three Aurors were on patrol there and beyond that was Filch, the caretaker, with a strange looking contraption pressed to his chest, checking over a pile of luggage. At the gates beside the Aurors stood Filius Flitwick, a clipboard in his hand and an irate look on his face.

"Potter!" he squeaked as soon as he caught sight of them, "Oh Miss Harte you found him! Good, good, excellent! I was beginning to think he'd gotten lost…"

"Call me Ana, Professor, please. I found Potter lagging behind, nothing serious, thought I'd bring him with me just to make sure he got here safely."

She gave the tiny Professor her most charming smile and was gratified to see him smile back; her story obviously going down without any doubts. She heard Harry mutter something and looked over to where he was gazing – to where Draco Malfoy was standing, beside Filch who was scanning some luggage; which Malfoy seemed to take objection to.

"What's this cane here then?" Filch asked, lifting up a long handled, silver topped cane.

"It's not a cane you cretin; it's a walking stick!" Malfoy exclaimed.

"Excuse me," Ana said gently to Flitwick and Harry, moving over to Filch's side.

"Mr Filch, good evening," she said with a gentle smile. The man nodded to her before looking back to the cane; pointing the device he was holding at it and muttering something under his breath. Malfoy looked on, obviously displeased.

"Look here…!" Malfoy began.

"Now, now, Mr Malfoy; we are all under the same security protocol at present. Perhaps it would be prudent for you to allow Mr Filch to complete his task…uninterrupted?"

The boy looked up at her; recognition flaring in his eyes as he realised she was the same person he had seen at the station.

"Who are you?" he asked sharply.

"Ana Harte, Miss Harte to you, Malfoy. As of yesterday an employee of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and therefore perfectly allowed to ask you to move on and expect you to do so…without complaint."

"It's alright Argus…Miss Harte…I can vouch for Mr Malfoy."

She didn't have to turn to know whose tone she was hearing and yet she looked up into the cold dark gaze of Severus Snape anyway. Draco looked up at him and she noted he didn't look particularly pleased to see his Head of House. Instead of thanking Snape he snatched his walking stick back from Filch before looking across to Harry and then calling,

"Nice face, Potter."

Ana raised her brow.

"Most inventive, Mr Malfoy, I'm sure. Now if you wouldn't mind going and joining the other pupils within the Great Hall?"

He gave her one of what she was already coming to think of as his trademark sneers before turning and heading towards the castle entrance. Snape gave her one of his hard, inscrutable looks, before whirling round and sweeping off after Malfoy. She watched the pair fade into the night before turning and beckoning for Harry to come over and join her. At her side Filch was still looking through the luggage; though he didn't seem to be having much luck.

"Here, Mr Filch," she reached across and popped open a trunk before he could protest, rifling around for a moment before pulling out a tiny pink bottle wrapped with bubble-gum pink ribbon at the neck and stoppered with a gaudy golden plug. She handed the bottle to him with a smile; watching as he eyed it with distaste as it sat in the palm of his hand.

"What is this?" he asked slowly, looking at it as though it would bite his head off at any moment.

"Love potion; can't be doing with those in the castle – the children are trouble enough I expect without having potion induced hormonal rages brought upon them."

He looked up at her and tilted his head slightly.

"How did you know it was there?" he asked; looking almost pained to be having to consult her on the matter.

"The smell; if you smell something like that, shop bought, not too potent, it has a faint talcum powder smell. I just guessed it came from that trunk; it smelled stronger there than anywhere else. Now admittedly half the time the smell might actually come from talcum powder but the other half…well – better to be safe than sorry. Always follow your nose; better than any magic."

He looked down at the bottle again, then at her, and then back down at the bottle before offering a muttered word of thanks.

"Oh our kind must stick together Mr Filch." she murmured, hoping he would take the bait.

"Our kind?" he wheezed; looking at her as though he couldn't possibly imagine being grouped with her in any manner – ever.

"Squibs; I'm one you see. You are too, aren't you?" she asked.

His entire face seemed to morph in that moment; a flurry of emotions crossing his weathered features; surprise, denial, hope, anger, relief, awe…

"You…you're a…a…?"

"A Squib? Yes. Anyway I should get Potter to the Great Hall – it was nice to see you Mr Filch. Goodnight."

With a warm smile she turned and began walking in the footsteps of Snape and Malfoy; heading towards the soft glow emitting from the castle.

"G'night!" called Filch from behind.

"What was that?" Harry asked, jogging to come to her side; she looked up to see that his face showed surprise and a wry smile was planted there as a result of her actions.

"It's called making friends in the unlikeliest of places, Harry. You should try it some time. We don't all have to be enemies with those that people expect us to be."

Harry said nothing to that and now it was her turn to smile. Perhaps, she thought to herself, just perhaps during her year at Hogwarts she could find a way to teach him something Sirius had so diligently taught her in her youth – something she feared the Sirius of nineteen ninety six did not yet know. That just as wolves could come in sheep's clothing so too could sheep don the skin of wolves.


	15. At the Lakeside

**At the Lakeside (September 1996)**

"Go on then," she gestured for him to precede her into the Great Hall, "I'll follow you in a minute."

Harry pressed the cloth she had given him, the result of a stop off at the cabin, to stem the still slight bleed coming from his nose tighter to his face before giving her a brief smile of thanks and entering the Great Hall; heading without hesitation to the Gryffindor table where his friends were waiting. Ana took a deep breath; there were a lot of people in the Great Hall; all chattering and eating and smiling. At the teachers table all were in conversation as they sedately ate; whilst she and Harry were at her and Hagrid's cabin Professor Flitwick had taken his place at the table and Filch had taken up residence just ahead at the doorway. Her eyes found her spot immediately; directly beside Hagrid and…oh – of course; it had to be didn't it?

Professor Snape.

She shook her head. What was she afraid of? She'd fought Dementors and Death Eaters, Acromantula, Werewolves, Trolls and even once taken on a Giant with a little help from Sirius. She shouldn't be scared of a hall full of children and a table full of Professors. Ana squared her shoulders and broke into a stride; heading for the head table. As soon as she came through the doors whispers began – people wondering who she was, what she was doing there, whether she was an Auror, why she was heading towards the teacher's table…

Dumbledore inclined his head to her with a smile from his place and she smiled in return.

"Ana!" Hagrid called out, waving a large hand as she approached, "Wha' took yer s'long?"

"Hello again Hagrid," she answered, smiling as she took her seat to the outbreak of several more mutters from the students, "I'm afraid Harry was a little more difficult to escort from the station than I had hoped."

"It is to be expected – Potter cannot do anything without unnecessary dramatics it seems." Snape interjected from her other side.

"You would know, Professor." she answered, completely deadpan, as she took a deep drink from her goblet and then replaced it gently on the table top.

"Meaning?" he asked icily.

"Meaning the man who sweeps around the castle in black with a temper liken to that of a Dementor on a bad day is not exactly one to comment on the dramatic nature of others."

She heard Hagrid half stifle a chuckle before looking ahead. She turned to see that whilst she and Snape had been talking Professor Dumbledore had risen and taken to his lectern at the front of the Great Hall. Immediately all went silent.

"Good evening to you all," Dumbledore began, "First off let me introduce you to the newest member of our staff; Horace Slughorn."

The man whose face she had known and yet had not connected a name to who sat on Snape's left rose to a round of polite applause. She clapped, shooting Snape a wry glance as she remembered that Horace Slughorn had for some years been a very adept Potioneer and master of the subject at Hogwarts. Did that mean…?

"Professor Slughorn, I am glad to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions Master. Meanwhile the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape."

Ana smiled and clapped loudly at the announcement; soon realising at the sound of her applause alone rang throughout the Great Hall that not all were gladdened by the news. However she continued to clap for several more beats, unashamed that the only sound accompanying her was a tiny smatter of strained applause; and that from the Slytherin table.

"Congratulations," she said without preamble to the dark haired man at her side.

"Thank you," he answered; giving her a strange look as she finished clapping.

The students were still muttering amongst themselves at the announcement – obviously everyone had expected Horace Slughorn to take the Defence position. That idea in itself was laughable, she thought, better to have Argus Filch who could do no magic at all teach the subject than meek, sly old Slughorn.

"A final addition this year; coming to us here at Hogwarts as co-groundskeeper and Assistant Teacher, may I ask you all to welcome Ana Harte."

Hagrid gave her an unnecessary dig in the ribs causing her to rise from her chair sharply. She smiled, inclined her head to the slightly muted spate of clapping; most students were still discussing Snape's appointment to the Defence position, and sat down again smoothly.

"Now as you all know," Dumbledore continued, "Each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight…and you have the right to know why. Once there was a young man, like you, who sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roof and seemed to all the world like a student like any other. His name was Tom Riddle."

A series of gasps and more muttering broke out at the sound of Voldemort's true name. She saw Snape's hand tighten into a fist on the table top and had to control her own urge to clench her hands at the name. It was not one spoken often but still she found it difficult to hear; for all the atrocities done to be under the orders of man who had a name as unthreatening, as unassuming, as Tom…it set her nerves on edge.

"Today of course he is known all over the world by another name," Dumbledore's sombre voice broke through the student's talking; reducing them once again to silence, "Which is why as I stand, looking out on all of you tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute perhaps; dark forces attempt to penetrate these castle walls. In the end their greatest weapon is you."

Her eyes fluttered, almost involuntarily, over to the Slytherin table and seemed to fall instinctually on Draco Malfoy. He had an elbow on the table top and his chin was resting in his hand. However the look on his face was…melancholy? No it was more than that. Not bored, not sad…it was as though something heavy weighed on him, pressing him down. She remembered Harry's worries; about Draco Malfoy already being a Death Eater, and reminded herself to keep a special eye on the boy.

"Just something to think about," Dumbledore finished. "Now; off to bed – pip pip!"

The students began to move and Ana looked to Snape to see his reaction. He was staring intently at Dumbledore still and she frowned at how the furrow between his brows had deepened so much in such a short space of time.

"So; Defence?" she said, unable to avoid breaking him out of his reverie. The intensity of his gaze was something she felt she almost had to break, "A harrowing time to teach such a subject."

His eyes snapped around to meet hers and he inclined his head slowly in acceptance.

"What plans do you have for the year? I hear that Harry started up some sort of defensive group last year; a way for the students to learn to use spells which could be…"

"…a group which was outside of the bounds of school regulations; Black told you it was a revelation…no doubt." Snape cut in smoothly.

"Not great in execution but not a bad idea though," she argued, "Teaching them to defend themselves through book work and the odd waving of the wand in controlled conditions is all well and good. But what they really need is to know how to react in a real situation; against a real opponent."

"May I remind you, Miss Harte, that this is a school – not an Auror training camp."

"Perhaps a little of both places would be beneficial? Over these past three months people in this room have lost family, friends and neighbours…all to the Death Eaters – to him. Didn't you once tell me that Gilderoy Lockhart instigated a Duelling Club when he taught here?"

Snape gave her a piercing look which instantly alerted her to her mistake; this Snape had told her no such thing. His other version, her version of him, had been the one to tell her.

"It's true, isn't it?" she asked; daring him to deny it.

"Yes; and it was a disaster."

"But you're no Lockhart," she contradicted, "You could actually teach them something worth learning; you could actually help them to learn how to duel. Not just to duel – to use their bodies as well as their wands, to avoid attack, to…"

"If you are so keen on the idea I suggest you take it up with Albus." Snape insisted, rising from his chair; bodily closing the subject.

"Very well, I will." She answered, rising along with him.

He stared at her for a long moment, black eyes meeting her own and boring into them with his typically penetrating stare. Then, without another word, he swept around and strode through the quickly parting crowds of children and out into the Entrance Hall.

"Well I'll be…" rumbled Hagrid.

She turned around to face the large man, craning her neck so she could look him in the face.

"What?" she asked with a tilt of the head and a smile.

"You! Arguin' wi' Snape! Ye've got to be one o' the few who'll do tha' an' live t' tell the tale o' it I'd reckon!"

She smiled and gestured for Hagrid to move ahead of her. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to bed down and go to sleep…yet the idea of a Duelling Club would not leave her mind as she and Hagrid made their away across the darkened school grounds. The more she thought of it the more she felt the idea grow. Shaking her head she pushed it aside. It would wait for morning.

* * *

><p>It was early; very early. The sun hadn't been up two hours and already she had risen, washed and dressed and headed out of doors in order to get a bit of air before the students awoke and lessons began for the day. She was due to help Hagrid with three classes; one of them a N.E.W.T session which Hagrid was particularly excited about. Then he said he'd take her for a tour of the Forbidden Forest – although he had told her expressly no less than eighty seven times to never go in there without him at her side.<p>

Looking over at the dark forest which lay but feet from where their cabin sat she was in no mood to ignore his order. She could definitely believe that people could get lost amongst the tall trees and never be seen again.

She found herself looking out to the lake instead; its smooth surface beautifully reflecting the still present colours of sunrise. She frowned as she saw a black dot at the edge; moving along at a brisk pace. The complete lack of colour on the figure and the way the robes swished behind it made her think that perhaps it was Snape. However she didn't go over. If it was the newly appointed Defence teacher he would no doubt loathe her interrupting his peace. However thinking of him turned her thoughts back to the Duelling Club. She was not prepared to let the idea go; kids or not the students of Hogwarts needed to be able to protect themselves; especially considering the times they were living in. She made a mental note to seek out Albus and raise the subject with him later that day.

Smiling slightly as she remembered the reason why she had risen so early in the first place she fished a piece of paper and a pencil from one of the voluminous pockets in her dress of the day; a plain black high necked, lace sleeved affair suitable for assisting Hagrid in his teaching, and went over to sit with her back against the cabin wall. She smoothed the parchment out on a large, flat rock which was laying amongst the dirt, rocks and pumpkins surrounding the cabin and wrote in her large, flowing script,

_Dear Sirius,_

_ I said I'd write as soon as I could. Well I've only been here two days and already I've got so much to tell you. _

_ The castle is magical – just like you said it would be. The very stone seems to breathe magic and all the teachers are so kind and yet so powerful, so wise, it's strange to see such strength hidden in the bodies of mild mannered middle aged people in teaching robes. Of course Snape isn't mild mannered but I knew that already so no cigar for surmising that. _

_ Harry is fine. He seemed happy last night; to be with his friends and back at Hogwarts. You can tell he loves this place and I can see why. Though I know he misses you I hope you can take comfort in the fact that he is happy. _

_ I start to teach today. Well – help Hagrid teach. I'll probably be relegated to handing out the Blast Ended Skrewts or something so if this letter smells of burning when you receive it at least you'll know why. It could be worse I suppose. He could have me feeding Flobberworms; I hate lettuce. _

_ It's sunrise as I write this and the whole lake looks like it's ablaze with all the colours streaming across the sky. Everything is silent but for birds calling and the Whomping Willow making a fuss…probably thinks the birds are singing too loudly. I wonder if this is how you remember Hogwarts - serene and peaceful and perfect. _

_ I hope you're well. Give my love to Remus and all the others. I'll see you soon. _

_-Ana. _

She smiled as she signed her name and looked out once more onto the lake. It was a long way from the cabin, she could barely see it from where she now sat, but far off she could still see the small black dot moving along the banks. The sound of a gentle melody being hummed joined the morning birdsong. She was almost surprised to find that she herself was the source. Her eyes still on Snape as he slowly moved from her view she realised she was humming the Moonlight Sonata and smiled.

A thump followed by a curse and rapid barking caused her to snap from her reverie. Hagrid was awake. The day had begun.

* * *

><p>"Now Miss Harte an' I 'ave been searchin' since day break an' we've managed to find a treat fer yer" Hagrid announced to his sullen looking fifth year group. They were a GryffindorSlytherin mix and looked as though there was no fate worse than having to be taught in the same atmosphere as their bitter House rivals.

It hadn't been the best start to the day. After Hagrid had dragged her off into the Forbidden Forest in a last minute preparation for the class (it turned out Hagrid had been gifted with a brain wave when he awoke and decided his fifth years absolutely had to learn about Porlocks that day) he was struck with the blow that his three favourite students had failed to take up his class past O.W.L level. However the idea of showing the fifth years the new creatures seemed to have brightened Hagrid's mood no end – at least she hoped that was the case.

"C'mon – they'll not bite!" he said, gesturing for the children to move closer to a box which held a mound of straw and…

"Oh wow!" shouted one girl as she caught sight of the creatures within, "They're tiny horses!"

This caused the students to all rapidly gather around the box, marvelling as the three Porlocks that could be found nestled within.

"Found 'em near th' Centaur herd – lucky really, usually th' critters stick ter horses…"

"They're Porlocks," Ana interjected; bringing Hagrid back on track.

"Porlocks; righ'!" Hagrid agreed. "Horse guardians; native ter this country an' difficult ter find unless yer know where to look."

Ana smiled as the children immediately began asking questions and umming and ahhing as Hagrid allowed some of the students to hold the tiny horse like creatures in the palms of their hands.

"They'm only babies like," Hagrid added, "Be two feet or so when full grown."

As she watched the curiosity alight in the eyes of the pupils Ana wondered just why Dumbledore had ever thought Hagrid would need a teaching assistant. The students were clearly captivated.

* * *

><p>"A Duelling Club?" asked Dumbledore with a raised brow. She had finally found time to visit the Headmaster after lunch and after the pleasantries were out of the way she had launched directly into pitching her not so new idea.<p>

"Yes," she answered, "I really think it could be beneficial. You brought me here to help, Albus, and I'm trying to help but Hagrid is a wonderful teacher and doesn't need assistance – not really and though the grounds work is lovely from what I've seen but there isn't that much to do by the time Hagrid has gotten stuck in…"

"You wish for occupation?" Dumbledore asked.

"I wish for usefulness, to be useful to Hogwarts and its pupils" she corrected, "And I think this could be useful; I think you brought me here for a reason. They need to apply their skills practically; especially those they learn in Defence. Last year, from what I hear, they did nothing but read books in that lesson all year. Now the students need to be able to use their book learning in a way which will…"

He steepled his fingers as he seemed to lose himself in thought.

"I must remind you, Ana, that your standing is as a Squib and I would wish it to remain so…"

"Yes but that's just it – you don't have to rely on magic entirely to win a fight. Yes magic is important, sometimes vital, and that can be taught too but I want to show the children things magic can't give you. Speed and strength and fast reactions; they'll save your life as well as any magic…"

"Miss Harte?" Dumbledore interrupted, "I was not questioning your judgement. I happen to think an official Duelling Club would be most beneficial given the times; and perhaps temper any urges amongst students to use spells on their fellow classmates outside of lessons unsupervised. However; I may only give my permission if Professor Snape might be persuaded to oversee the activity. It won't do to step on his toes so soon after he has been appointed to the position."

"Of course, Professor," she answered sweetly, "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

><p>She found Snape in the staffroom. He was reading the Daily Prophet intently and, luckily for her, there were others present. She smiled and greeted Professors Flitwick and Sprout with a few words before seating herself on the armchair opposite Snape and proceeding to stare at him.<p>

It didn't take him long to look over the top of the newspaper and give her a quizzical frown.

"Albus has approved the Duelling Club. He thinks it would be beneficial." she said.

"How wonderful," he breathed with more irony in those two words than she had ever heard.

"He wants you to oversee it," she added, "As new Defence Professor."

This caused Snape's eyes to narrow; drastically.

"Is that an order?" he asked silkily. She shook her head.

"He wants you to do it, and so do I, but he's not telling you to."

Snape instantly went back to his paper.

"Is that a no?" she asked.

No response.

"Why?" she tried again.

No response; exactly as she had known there would be.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to hide something; are we not so sharp a duellist as we were…three years ago wasn't it, with Gilderoy Lockhart? And he was soft touch, let's admit it, a blind Flobberworm could defeat him..."

She knew that Sprout and Flitwick were looking at her in horror. However she kept her eyes firmly fixed on Snape. He slowly lowered his paper once again and fixed her with a murderous look.

"Strange…that a _Squib_ should doubt my magical prowess."

His tone was so smooth now she was sure his anger was at boiling point – or near reaching. There was something about her, he knew it as well as she did, that he did not understand and it got under his skin no end. As did the fact that he was well aware she knew what it was that was hidden and he, for all his ability to invade people's minds, could not find the root of it.

"Magic isn't the only way to defeat an opponent." she shrugged, keeping her speech casual.

"Oh?" he asked, taking the bait.

"Yes, there are other ways to take on even a person with a wand when you have none. In fact," she paused and tilted her head, making a show of it before smiling and continuing, "I bet I could defeat you in a duel – even if you had a wand."

The silence seemed louder than any sound in the room. Sprout and Flitwick were looking between Ana and Snape like they were watching a train crash in slow motion. Slowly, painfully slowly, Snape rose from his seat. She stood with him and when he took a step forward she matched it.

"Is that a challenge?" he hissed.

"Did you not realise?" she asked quietly.

"Very well; _one session_ of the Duelling Club may be called. At least twenty students must attend or the session shall not go on and then, if that figure is reached, you shall try to disarm me – agreeable terms, Miss Harte?"

"Absolutely, Professor Snape."

She reached out a hand to shake on it and he took it with only half a moment's hesitation. His hand was cool and the skin was calloused. He shook her hand once firmly and then took his seat again, taking up his paper as if never interrupted. Ana turned away and walked over to get a glass of water from the pitcher in the corner. Behind her back she heard Sprout and Flitwick mutter excuses before barrelling out of the room – no doubt to spread what they had just heard amongst the staff.

She took a sip of water before making to join them; she doubted staying would be anything other than pushing it. Better to leave Snape in peace for a while – allow him to stew. When she reached the door however she heard a mutter from him,

"It seems I am not the only one who can be accused of dramatics, Miss Harte."

She smiled without turning back. He had known it was a plan to rile him into allowing the Duelling Club all along. He had known…and he had gone along with it.

"Ana," she said into the silence, "My name is Ana."

She swept from the room without waiting for an answer. Even if she had she doubted she would have gotten one – and anyway, the knowledge that twenty six years had not dulled her ability to read him like a book was enough reward for her.


	16. The Duelling Club

**The Duelling Club (September 1996****)**

A week had passed. A single week at Hogwarts was magical, stressful, difficult, enjoyable, frustrating, elating and, above all things, full of wonder. At least that was how Ana saw it. Her days began early, often before sunrise, as she and Hagrid fed, watered, cared for and at times captured the various creatures he was required to keep as part of his teaching post. Beyond magical creatures were the grounds themselves; the Forbidden Forest, the lake, the Whomping Willow (which had already given her a nasty cut to the arm and Hagrid a black eye) and anything else which lay between the castle and the magical barrier separating Hogwarts from the rest of the world.

The students she found a mixed bag. Whilst there were times, usually when watching their faces when introduced to a new, exciting magical creature, when she thought that being a Hogwarts teacher must be the best thing in the world. However the ever common house disputes; such as when Graham Pritchard cursed Nigel Wespurt for the malodorous crime of 'looking at me a bit funny', or the time Slytherin house flat out refused to accept, do or hand in homework to 'a galumphing great prat like Hagrid' caused her temper near to breaking point.

"Right, Mr Baddock if you feel so strongly about the entire thing you can do detention in order to fully inform me of your world views; that goes to you too Pritchard."

"Oy! She can't do that! She isn't a teacher!" Baddock complained, stamping his foot as though it would instantly cause her to change her mind. The Gryffindor members of the class sniggered at the display.

"Really I don't find it all that funny Mr Gerard; perhaps you should join your fine classmates in detention? As calling Baddock a toad is not, dare I say it, anatomically, or morally, right."

After that the students seemed to settle.

"Yer real good at getting' 'em ter behave." Hagrid observed after the end of one particularly difficult lesson where a group of Slytherin fifth years had decided that Blast Ended Skrewts were the perfect weapon to use in open warfare against their Gryffindor counterparts.

"I'm just very, very mean." she answered with a smile. "You need to take a tougher stance Hagrid. I know you're kindness itself but the problem is so do they. You don't need to be a bad person to be strict you know."

He nodded as if she were giving him words of the deepest wisdom.

"So what are yer goin' ter do w' all this lot when they come fer detention? Y've got wha…?"

"Thirty five this week– and it's only Thursday." she answered with satisfaction.

"Blimey. Ye'll have yer hands full wi' tha'…" he began.

"No; I intend for their punishment to be something which should be interesting enough for them to keep their attention suitably…fixed. I'm going to make them attend the first session of the Duelling Club on Saturday night."

Hagrid said nothing for a moment and then asked slowly.

"The Duellin' Club tha' yer had no end o' trouble persuadin' Professor Snape to start?"

She nodded.

"The Duellin' Club ye've got ter get twenty students to attend fer it t' go ahead?"

She nodded again.

"How many did yer say ye'd got…?"

"Thirty five," she repeated; her face devoid of emotion as she spoke.

"Righ'…" answered Hagrid with a deep chuckle.

She crouched down to rub some more Bruise Removal Paste into the Pumpkin she was tending. Hagrid was worried students were kicking them as they passed the cabin. More likely one of his furry friends, possibly Fang, were the culprits but Hagrid had insisted that the pumpkins be unmarked when sent to the kitchens to make the pumpkin juice for meal times. She made a note to tell the House Elves to wash the pumpkins before use…or everyone was going to get a nasty surprise at breakfast the next day. She had it on good Weasley authority that Bruise Removal Paste did not taste good.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure it can be easily fixed Mr Filch," she said in her most placating tone.<p>

"There's a hole in the eighth floor corridor! Students…damn Weasley's are to blame. More of those products, this…tat, this year than any other…sneaking through…students…" he muttered half to himself and half to her. His fury caused spittle to fly from his mouth and she positioned herself out of firing range. She might be trying to appease Filch but she didn't want to be that appeasing.

"I'll ask Professor McGonagall what needs to be done…" she tried again.

"THEY'RE NOT EVEN HERE! Not even here and still the bane of my life…" Filch continued; regardless of her entreaties.

"Argus," she tried; instantly earning his attention, "Please; do calm down. There's no need for you to be so upset about all this - children will be children you know and none can stop them from the occasional…lapse in judgement. Admittedly Vanishing the floor was a little extreme but…well it isn't your fault. I'll fetch Minerva and this will all be done with in a flash."

She smiled just to enforce her gentle tone. The man smiled at her in return, his yellow teeth exposed, and she reminded herself mentally one more time that all he needed was someone to be nice to him. All he needed was a friend and then he might not be so…prickly.

A quick Floo message later and Minerva McGonagall was standing before them.

"I must say I was surprised to receive your message Miss Harte," the older woman burred, "I had thought, as this is inside the castle, that it would be rather outside of your realms of responsibility…" she looked to Filch, then to Ana, and back again – letting the sentence hang.

"I was leaving the Great Hall after dinner and saw Mr Filch seemed to be some distress over something. I inquired as to what and, well, here we are…"

She gestured to the gaping hole which lay before them. A good four feet or more of the eighth floor corridor floor was completely gone and, as there was no rubble in the seventh corridor below, it had to have been vanished.

"I checked to see whether the ground was merely invisible," Ana stepped in, "However it appears that the stone has simply…vanished."

She crouched to prove her point and stuck her arm directly through the hole.

"Children will be children," jumped in Filch, looking to Ana as he spoke. She smiled and nodded at his response. McGonagall viewed the whole thing with raised brows.

"Well…yes, Mr Filch, that is so. Nevertheless this is quite a complex piece of magic – Vanishing such a large thing is not the work of some wet behind the ears first year. More likely one of our older students playing a prank…it will take some time to re-instate the flooring. Thank you, Mr Filch, Miss Harte – I shall see to it."

Filch nodded and, with a last look back to Ana, scurried off muttering something to himself.

"You seem to have made an impression," Minerva said, "Here a week and already tales of your antics are fuelling the gossip of the castle. Detention to…thirty seven pupils now is it? Befriending Mr Filch is certainly an odd move and challenging Professor Snape to a duel…Ana I have to ask as to what exactly you are doing…"

Ana smiled and looked to the other woman levelly.

"The detentions are because, for all his prowess, Hagrid's students nine times out of ten behave appallingly in his lessons and I feel it's about time they realised he is a teacher and they need to behave with that fact firmly in place in their minds. Mr Filch is ratty and caustic and sometimes he doesn't smell too pleasant but he is treated like a pariah for being a Squib as much as being in a foul temper nine tenths of the time and I don't think that's fair. As for the duel…it's an experiment. Albus signed off on it; a Duelling Club to teach the students how to use defensive spells in a combative environment in order to keep them alive. All things considered I think I'm doing fairly little out of the ordinary."

There was a pause before Minerva responded,

"Well put; Miss Harte."

"Ana," she corrected, "I've never been called Miss Harte so much in my entire life as I have this past week."

"Ana," Professor McGonagall repeated with one of her kind smiles. "Well I must tend to this new disaster – good evening."

Ana nodded and was about to leave when something moving on the floor below, visible only because of the hole in the floor, caught her eye. It was the white blonde head that did it; drawing her attention as it swiftly moved down the corridor and out of sight. It was, without a doubt, Draco Malfoy but what was he doing on the seventh floor at eight o'clock at night?

"Ana?"

She looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking at her expectantly. Oh, yes, she was supposed to be leaving.

"Thank you, goodnight Professor."

She turned and walked down the corridor, already hearing Minerva began weaving the spell which would return the floor to normal at her back, thinking carefully about the features of the seventh floor. There was no reason for any student to be there, she decided, but Malfoy had obviously found one. Harry's warning once more rung in her mind and she wondered whether it could be true. She would have to corner Snape at some point and try to find out. If Draco was doing something he shouldn't on the orders of his father or, worse still, of Voldemort, no doubt he was putting himself, as well as the rest of the inhabitants of the castle, in danger…and if it was harmless then no one would think the worse of her for asking.

* * *

><p>Ana chewed her toast slowly as she scanned the students seated at their house tables. The talk was quiet, as it usually was in the mornings, as hundreds of teenagers gradually woke up. She had noted that Draco Malfoy wasn't at the table when she had entered the room and he had not arrived since. At the Gryffindor table Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were huddled together with Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas also part of the group. Four were in Quidditch gear; of course, she thought, Gryffindor try outs were that morning.<p>

Professor Snape had come and gone; he was nearly done with breakfast by the time she had arrived. She had seen him walking around the lake again that morning, despite the fact that the weather was cold and the wind high, and yet again she had refrained from letting him know of her presence or mentioning it to him afterwards. That night would be the first evening of the Duelling Club and, after she had informed him that she had more than twenty students guaranteed to turn up, he had curtly told her that she and the children should be on the grounds near the groundskeeper's hut at seven. She had simply accepted the place and time without argument. He had seemed edgy and she was sure there was something on his mind – something greater than duelling a wandless competitor at any rate.

Harry and company rose from the table and Ana abruptly dropped her toast and rose with them. She rounded the teacher's table and headed for the door, meeting them along the way.

"Morning Potter, you ready for try outs?"

He gave her a less than confident look.

"As I'll ever be," was his answer. She smiled.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Actually there was something I wanted to talk to you about – if you have a moment?"

He nodded and told the others to go on without him. They all greeted her with a nod and a smile before heading off out of the main doors and towards the Quidditch pitch. Ana led Harry off from the Great Hall into an alcove away from anyone within hearing distance. Under her breath she breathed a quick charm to ensure no one would hear their conversation, clutching her wand from beneath her skirts where it was strapped to her thigh and out of sight as usual, before beginning,

"Have you heard from Snuffles recently?"

"Not since we left for school but it's only been a week," Harry answered, "I did write…"

"Me too," she replied. He gave her a strange look which she answered with, "Known him all my life remember? Even if he hasn't known me all that long habits such as keeping in touch are hard to break."

Harry nodded and she thought there was understanding, even sympathy, in his gaze.

"He might just be busy," Harry rationalised, "Order stuff…"

"Yeah," Ana answered, "Yeah I suppose you're probably right. Still I'll check with Albus at some time today – see what news he's got from headquarters; just to be safe."

"What are you worried about?" asked Harry. He was beginning to look worried himself now and she almost regretted bringing up the topic with the boy. She didn't want to upset him.

"No reason, just…as I said – old habits."

He nodded, though not looking convinced, before saying,

"Well I'd best get down to the Quidditch pitch…they'll be waiting for me…"

"Yes, of course yes, sorry to keep you." she muttered, her mind already going through a hundred and one unhappy scenarios. She could understand Sirius failing to reply to her letter but Harry's? He loved the boy like a son. It didn't feel right.

"Thanks, Ana." Harry said suddenly, "Thanks for…I don't know. Thanks for caring."

"About Sirius?" she asked, looking up at him with surprise. He nodded.

"It's just…people sort of think he's all hard and cool and stuff but he's not really. I don't know how to explain it but he's…vulnerable? Stuck in the house alone and everyone going out doing things for the Order – he hates it. He hates feeling useless. No one really thinks about how he feels."

Harry stopped, his mouth scrunched to the side in a sign of worry and his brow furrowed with thought - causing his scar to become all but invisible.

"It's in my blood, Harry, caring about him I mean. I won't stop – not about him or about you," she paused before adding, "I know you haven't known me long; not compared to Remus or Tonks or anyone else you've spent lots of time with but…if you need me I'm here; okay?"

He nodded with a smile.

"Thanks. Let me know about Sirius?"

"Of course," she replied, "Now go on before they do try outs without their Captain! Will I be seeing you tonight? Duelling Club's first meeting and all that – be nice to have a good turn out."

"Wouldn't miss it," he answered with a smile, "There are bets on how bad Snape's going to beat you but I've put two Galleons on you – I've seen you fight. Wand or not I reckon you're not easy to beat."

She grinned.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence – see you tonight then and good luck on the pitch!"

He nodded and with a word of thanks headed off out into the grounds. She watched the red and gold clad figure until he was a dot in the distance and then, finally, completely invisible. She had to help Hagrid prepare a poultice for an injured Acromantula but after that she was definitely going to find out about Sirius. This time period was turning out to be very complicated, she thought; at least where she was from all she had to do was kill Death Eaters and stay alive…

On second thoughts perhaps ninety six wasn't so bad.

* * *

><p>She left Dumbledore's office with much to think about. She shook her head ruefully; who was she kidding? It left her with lots to worry about which was possibly worse.<p>

"_He has been seen within Headquarters several times over the past few weeks; spoke with various members of the Order…I truly think there is nothing to fear on that part…"_

"_It just seems so strange for him not to reply to Harry's letter." she interjected. _

"_He is unhappy about being kept within the confines of Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore answered, "I fear this has made him withdrawn, yes, but as I said, Ana, I do not think we have anything to fear."_

"_And what of Malfoy?" she asked, changing the subject as she was sure that Dumbledore was holding something back about Sirius, "I saw him on the seventh floor but…"_

"_Mr Malfoy is no more a Death Eater than you or I, Ana. I can assure you of that."_

She had convinced Dumbledore to give her Sunday afternoon away from the castle in order to visit Grimmauld Place anyway. A half-baked excuse about collecting some things she had left behind there – but as he could find no reason to deny her she had won through. She would tell Harry when she saw him at Duelling Club. Which reminded her – she hadn't practised for what felt like an age. If she had any hope of not being humiliated by Severus Snape that evening she should really get herself warmed up.

* * *

><p>It was a cold night. Despite September still being in full force the weather seemed to be more like minded to the winter than anything else. Nevertheless Ana was stood in the middle of the grounds, a plain black dress in her usual style a strange reflection of Snape's black robes, surrounded by hundreds of floating candles illuminating the space where she was stood. Snape was opposite her, wand in hand, whilst around them in a wide circle were no less than seventy students. She could see Harry, Ron, Hermione and several other Gryffindor house members gathered as well as a fair few Slytherin pupils. To her relief Draco Malfoy was with them; so she didn't have to wonder where he was whilst also having to face one of the most powerful wizards she had ever encountered. Her detention students looked like Christmas had come early; watching Professor Snape duel was something no one in the castle had ever seen before. Gilderoy Lockhart's feeble attempts, apparently, did not count.<p>

"There may come a time," she began, speaking loudly enough so that all could hear, "That sees you in just the position I am in now. Faced by a powerful opponent," she inclined her head towards Professor Snape, "And wandless...but that does not mean defenceless. I can tell you now that magic is not the only way to keep death at bay."

There were several mutterings, mostly amongst the Slytherin crowd, and she heard the words 'Squib' being bandied around.

"Yes," she continued, swallowing down guilt before she told the lie, "I am a Squib. You might say that makes me less than any magical person. Well I, for one, do not think that is the case. Whilst Professor Snape will, if tonight is a success, take up the teaching of spells which will no doubt keep you alive I shall be teaching you how your body can make just as powerful a weapon."

She looked to Snape with a smile.

"If you could, Professor..." she produced one of her daggers from within her skirts and held it up, "…dull the blade? I wouldn't want to hurt myself."

He walked over and passed his wand over the blade; securing around it a barely visible inch of compressed air which meant, even if she hit him with it, he would come to no harm. She then raised the weapon for everyone assembled to see.

"Always be prepared. If you lose your wand it is well to remember that there are other weapons to fight with. Now of course tonight I will not be using this to shed blood. However these are dark times and there are some things that all of us must face in order to live another day; even getting blood on our hands."

She reached her mark on the grass leaving five steps between her and Snape.

"Mr Potter?" she asked, looking to Harry, "If you could count us in?"

Snape lifted his wand in a duelling stance in preparation. She simply stood there, looking into his eyes across the distance between them. Although it, she hoped, didn't show she was nervous. What if he did something she wasn't expecting? Just because she knew the other Snape didn't mean this one would be anything like him…

"Err…okay. One," began Harry. She could practically hear the intake of breath the student's took in anticipation. "…two…." she tightened her hand around her dagger and took in a deep breath of her own, "…THREE!"

She saw him make the movement before the spell was from his lips. She only lingered enough to hear him shout,

"STUPE…"

Instantly she was crouched, a red of light heading towards the place where her chest had been. She rolled as another stunning spell whipped through the air towards her and ran towards him. He aimed another spell and this one, she could tell by the way his arm twitched downwards ever so slightly, was going to be aimed lower. He expected her to crouch again in order to avoid his attack…which is exactly what she had been planning on. She leaped into the air, throwing her body forwards as she did so in order to completely roll over mid-air and come to a rolling land on her feet. She had to quickly dodge to her left as another spell careened into the space she had landed in but half a second before and leaned heavily to the side as another one joined it. She was close now; less than two steps away and she ducked and rolled to her right as another spell entered the space where she had been. This one, she knew, was different - she recognised it from the word used – if it had hit her it would have bound her limbs making it impossible to avoid any more attacks. He was getting serious.

She stood and another spell careened towards her; she waited until the very last moment, until it looked as if it was certain to hit her, and then bowed into a fore-ward roll; running the last two steps and thrusting her blade at Snape's throat. Almost the moment she did so she felt his wand jab her in the ribs. She smiled as two sets of black eyes, one his and the other her own, bored into one another.

"A stalemate, it seems," she was breathing heavily from the exertion and she was sure she had, at some point, cut her face - due to a rock which had been part of a large chunk of Earth he had caused to rocket through the air as one of his curses ploughed into the ground.

"Indeed," he answered slowly.

She backed off and he did so at the same time. Immediately applause broke out with the children cheering out for their favourite teacher as Ana inclined her head to Snape and he did the same to her.

"You see, of course, that surviving an attack from one such as Professor Snape was no easy task," she called out, rubbing some blood from her cheek with a smile, "And had this been a true duel it is possible that he could have killed me before I had him…though not definite. However we are not here to say which method is better – what I hope to do in the coming weeks is teach you all how to combine wand work with foot work – how to be a great duellist who can also take their opponent by surprise; one who can move intelligently..."

She stopped as something drew her eye to her left. She looked out into the darkness before taking a step forwards. There, she was sure she could see…

Something collided with the invisible barrier surrounding the school about thirty feet above them and then another something followed it– two black forms which recoiled as soon as they touched the shield and then, after a moment's hesitation, zoomed off into the night. She looked back to Snape whose eyes met hers before turning once again to the barrier. However whatever had been there was gone; the Death Eaters, for she knew in her heart that was what they had been, were long vanished.

"We shall take up the lesson next week," intoned Snape in his drawling tone which brooked no argument, "I shall prepare the Great Hall for the occasion. Seven o'clock – do not be late."

There was a moment's silence before all the students began to disperse. Some, she knew, had no idea what they had just borne witness to. However many were well aware – that they had just seen yet another attempt to breach the walls of Hogwarts.

"They have been as such for weeks now."

She looked away from the barrier for the first time since she had looked back at him to see the students disappearing into the night. They were alone with the candlelight.

"I know," she murmured, "I'm sorry it's just…the urge to fight I suppose. It took all I had not to get my wand out in front of the children."

"Understandable." was his response.

Finally she turned to face him fully and asked,

"Were you impressed?"

For a long moment he simply gave her a withering look, refraining from reply, before he finally conceded,

"It was most…unexpected. I have not seen that manner of fighting before."

"You wouldn't," she answered, "It's all my own. Thank you for your help and for agreeing to keep the Duelling Club going. It's good of you. And thank you for the fight – it was challenging; more challenging than many of the ones I fought back home."

He nodded and said nothing. She sighed; watching her breath mist before her eyes.

"Goodnight then, Professor."

"Goodnight." he answered.

She turned and walked off towards the cabin, seeing Hagrid's silhouette illuminated inside as he pottered around. Behind her she knew Snape watched her until she merged into the darkness; the same way she had watched Harry until he was out of sight that morning. She wasn't sure whether the thought made her feel more safe or less. However in the end she knew the answer. She could trust him; despite his cold demeanour, despite his hard exterior and often behaviour edging on cruelty to the children…she could trust him; always.


	17. Who Are You?

**Who Are You? (September 1996)**

"Hello?"

She shut the door behind her and took a moment to listen out in the quiet. Back in her own time Ana had spent the majority of her life in Grimmauld Place. Now, after more than a week away, she felt as though a part of her had finally come home after a long absence from the house.

There was no reply to her call and so she moved deeper into the house, listening out for any sign of inhabitants. A shuffling to her left caused her to look up, towards the dark staircase, where a small figure was huddled next to the bottom step, clutching the bannister, looking out at her with big, yellow eyes through the gloom.

"Kreacher?" she asked, moving towards the elf. In her world Kreacher was dead and she had presumed he was in this one as well. Not so it seemed.

"Invaders of the House of Black, tramping through our halls, invading our Mistresses home – dirty mudbloods, blood traitors…"

"Kreacher," she tried again, "Is there anyone else here? Is your master…?"

"No master of Kreacher's – filthy traitor he is, dirty, evil…"

She moved quickly, closing the space between her and the house elf and pressing the tip of her wand to his throat before he could so much as register her movement.

"Don't speak ill of your master Kreacher or he will punish you…or failing that I will."

Silence for a long moment before Kreacher, his old croaking voice shaking slightly as he spoke, mumbled,

"No others – master in the room of trees with his shame…"

Of course; the room with the family tree tapestried along the walls seemed to be a fixation which Sirius could not break. Her own Sirius had spent time in there often, especially after drinking, staring at the various connections as if wondering just where everything went so wrong.

"Thank you Kreacher; go to your cupboard now and don't come out unless someone asks for you to do so."

"You is not Kreacher's…"

She pressed her wand tip deeper into his wrinkled flesh. He growled something derogatory before ambling off towards the kitchen; she hoped to do as she had instructed. The sight of Kreacher would do Sirius no good if he was in a bad mood.

She came to the door of the tapestry room and hesitated outside, pressing her hand to the door and closing her eyes; almost steeling herself for what she might find. After Harry had died, so Remus had told her, Sirius had never been the same and in her time no matter how happy he was, no matter how well things were going, he would always slip back to Firewhiskey and bad memories. It was all she could do to drag him from his stupors then. Now, when he barely knew her, she wasn't sure she had the strength to do so.

She opened the door slowly and peered around the frame. She found him sat in a corner, his back pressed flush against the wall, his legs spread out before him, the smell of Firewhiskey prevalent above all else and an unfocused look to his eyes.

"Sirius?" she called his name softly.

He didn't look up. She moved further into the room, shutting the door behind her and standing before him. He looked as though he had been sat there for some time and beyond the Firewhiskey it smelled as though he hadn't washed in days. His incarceration was weighing heavy on him and no one suspected perhaps how like one prison was to another. The very thought of being trapped in a place, any place, still gave her shivers. Azkaban haunted its victims long after they were released.

"Sirius?"

She thought his eyes moved, looking up at her for a half moment before falling back to the spot he had been focused on before. She moved slowly closer, until she was level with the knee of one of his legs, and crouched beside him.

"What do you want?" he croaked.

"I came to see you; to make sure you were all right…" she faltered. He sounded so lost.

"Why?"

His question struck her off guard. She tilted her head slightly and answered,

"Because I care about you, of course, because I want to make sure…"

"Who are you? Who are you to care about me? You don't know me; you know NOTHING about me – you're just…" he stopped.

The sudden ferocity had brought a fire to his eyes but even now that was dying away as quickly as it had come. He was drunk, or hungover, or both – she knew that and yet her jaw still clenched painfully at his words.

"I know it's hard for you to understand that I have known you thirteen years Sirius Black but I have. I know I can't just say I'm your friend and suddenly it is so. But I do care about you. So does Harry – he wrote to you, he's worried…"

"No need; I'm fine." he answered abruptly.

"You're not," she replied so softly she could hardly hear her own words.

"I say I am," his response was harsh.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, trying a different tack.

He shrugged.

"You stink of Firewhiskey, your clothes need washing, you need washing, please, Sirius, come out of here – I know why you come and…"

"Oh, you know? Well pray tell." he leaped on her comment, finally turning his eyes to bore into hers. The grey of his irises seemed stormy.

"Because you always tried, even when I knew you, to pinpoint just where everything went wrong; where your family tree took the path to destruction – the path to darkness. You used to study this damned thing for hours; just looking and thinking, mostly when you were three Firewhiskey's and a Butterbeer down, and it used to kill me to watch you torture yourself."

There was a silence as he looked at her before he murmured,

"Who are you?"

"A friend," she answered gently, "Your friend. Your ally…please let me help you."

Another pause; this one longer, before he opened his mouth and slowly said,

"But I don't even know you."

Her heart clenched so painfully she was almost afraid, for a split second, that she would fall over dead from the pain. Her eyes closed and she fought to open them again as she felt the tears mount. She couldn't let him know he had hurt her; she had to be strong.

"Well we'll change that soon enough, if you want to. Now go on, go upstairs and wash, change and then come down. I'll make you something to eat and then we can talk. I'll tell you about Harry; about how he's doing as Gryffindor captain. He's a champion Quidditch player you know."

"I know, like his father…" a small smile broke through the gloom before he stood abruptly and walked over to the door. "I'll be back in ten minutes…" he began.

"Fifteen," she altered, "You need to wash your hair – trust me. I'll be in the kitchen."

He nodded emotionlessly, reached out, turned the handle and left the room. Not drunk then; not if he could turn the door knob and walk out in a straight line - just despondent…alone.

She put out a hand to hold up her weight as she fell into a sitting position on the floor. Sirius' words rang out in her head. Who are you? I don't even know you. They were all true; for him. That was what hurt most – he was her closest ally, dearest friend and more family than anyone she had ever known. To hear him say those things to her of all people…

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the tears she had so ruthlessly suppressed build and spill over once again. It was pointless trying to stop them and so, hearing a rattling within the house and knowing Sirius was running water somewhere high above her, she let them come. For five minutes she allowed herself to mourn the friendship she had lost. Then she wiped her eyes, rose and headed for the kitchen. That time was gone. Yet she had a chance of building a new alliance; a new friendship. Opening the kitchen cupboards and finding them bare she sighed. It seemed this new enterprise of allowing Sirius Black to get to know her would be beginning with toast. It was there was one thing Grimmauld Place always mysteriously seemed to have a never ending supply of it was bread.

* * *

><p>She was seated at the table; toast and tea and some pepper up potion laid out before her. She had found there the post which had been forwarded to Grimmauld Place over the last week. She had placed Harry's letter, recognisable by his cramped hand, on the top of the pile.<p>

When he entered the room it was in silence. He sat at the table and for a long moment did nothing. She reached over and pushed a cup towards him, placed a cube of sugar in it, poured in the tea and added a drop of milk. Then she picked up the small flask at her side, pilfered from Snape just in case such a scenario awaited her, and tipped three drops into the tea.

"Pepper Up," she answered, "I thought you might appreciate it."

He reached out and took the cup, taking a sip before placing it back on the table. Then, for the first time since entering the room, he looked at her.

"Have you been crying?" he asked suddenly with a frown.

She instantly started. How did he…damn her pale skin – her eyes were probably still red. She shouldn't have let herself go, now he was going to think…

"Was that because of me?" he asked.

"No, no I wasn't, I haven't…" she sighed. "I'm fine."

"You're obviously not if you're…" he began again.

"Can you just leave it? Please? I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh!" he exclaimed, pushing back his chair and standing up, "Oh you don't want to talk about it but you come in here and insist on talking about me, about my problems…"

"Sirius calm down…" she interjected.

"No I won't!" he retorted, "You can't just waltz in, future girl, and command everything that lays before you. Everyone talks about you, asks about you and no one ever gets a straight answer. What does anyone know about you anyway? What do any of us…?"

She stood up, her chair falling down behind her with a thunk.

"I have proved myself, if that's what you're saying."

Her voice had taken on an icy quality and even as she told herself that arguing with Sirius was not going to help the situation her mouth ran off without her brain,

"I have saved your life, saved Harry's life, given up everything I ever had so that I could come to this time and all I find is that people I counted as friends look at me as a stranger and enemies long dead are now alive and well."

"I'll bring in the violins when you tell me something you haven't said a hundred times before," he answered harshly; taking a step around the table towards her, "I can look after myself, I don't need you to…"

"HA!" she yelled, "Look after yourself you say? That's priceless, Sirius, bloody priceless. You were in that room for at least a day, you stank of Firewhiskey and the great unwashed and you were lost in a whole world of dark thoughts…yeah really looks like you can take care of yourself."

"You're criticizing me for having dark thoughts? You won't even say who your parents are; you won't even say what happened to us in this other world you keep harping on about."

She clenched her fists and stepped towards him, closing the already small space to infinitesimal proportions. Her eyes were level with his collarbone and she looked up to meet the angry grey pools without hesitation.

"They're dead. My mother is dead. My father is dead. What more is there to say? I hate it, it hurts and hearing you say you don't know me hurts. I know it's not your fault but it does all the same and I think you know it. I always knew you had a hard streak, Sirius Black, but _damn me_ you're cold."

There was a pause and she practically saw the anger drain out of his eyes. Her breath was coming quickly and she realised that she had been shouting at him without even knowing it. It was then that she realised she could feel his breath on her face; feel the heat of his body which was millimetres away from hers. She saw his eyes slide downwards, ever so slightly, away from her eyes and down towards her lips. Her breath hitched and she found herself moving ever so slightly closer, tilting her head less than a hairsbreadth to the right as his own body seemed to lean towards hers…

The sound of a door opening drove them to separate just moments before…moments before whatever was about to happen happened. Her mind was reeling as the kitchen door opened and Nymphadora Tonks sauntered into the room.

"Wotcher…er, hi Ana…wasn't expecting you…"

Tonks looked between the two of them, Ana and Sirius both studiously keeping their eyes from the other, before looking to the table and quickly saying,

"Oh, tea, great! It's getting cold now isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ana answered, "Bitterly…"

She looked over to Sirius and at the same moment he looked over at her. Their eyes met for a split second before they looked away and once again took their seats at the table. If Tonks had noticed that Ana's chair was tipped over she didn't say anything.

"Dumbledore asked me to call round, check in and all that…" said Tonks conversationally.

Ana's head jerked as the knowledge hit. Dumbledore thought she couldn't handle Sirius without an Auror present? Or Dumbledore didn't trust her methods of handling Sirius? It was something for further thought.

"…weird time to take a shower."

Ana refocused on Tonks as the words penetrated her thoughts. Sirius grinned his wolfish smile and, brushing still damp hair from his face, answered nonchalantly,

"Ana's doing – she reckoned I smelled like a badger's arse."

Ana looked up to see Sirius looking at her; this time not so hesitantly, with a half-smile on his lips and his head tilted in question. Was he asking for forgiveness for striking out at her?

"You did," she answered, seeing his smile widen at her words and returning it with her own. He didn't need to ask for forgiveness from her. He would always be given it freely.

"Ah well I reckon it's this old place," Tonks interjected, munching on some toast as she looked from one to the other. "Reeks of must even if you clean it from top to bottom."

There was a small silence that was filled with them drinking their tea. Ana noted with satisfaction that Sirius was drinking the cup with the Pepper Up in – already the colour was returning to his cheeks as the result.

"Hey," interrupted Tonks, placing down her toast and using the most falsely conversational tone in the history of false geniality to ask her question, "Has anyone heard from Remus?"

Sirius and Ana each looked to the other and, after a moment's pause, both simultaneously burst into laughter. She couldn't help feeling her heart lighten; whatever tension had been between them since he had arrived appeared to be now broken. Whether it had taken a confrontation to work it out or the other thing…she felt her cheeks warm at the very thought of what might have happened. However that was food for another day's thought. Right now she was just glad to have her friend back.


	18. The Necklace

**The Necklace (November 1996)**

Time was passing.

It was inevitable, she had known that all along, but for so many things to have happened in so short a space of time and then to live a life which was almost…normal? It was strange, she thought, strange not to have to fight for her very survival every day, strange not to be duelling Death Eaters every week, strange not to fear the cold kiss of a Dementor at every turn…it was stranger still because she knew the day was coming when all those fears would be made real once again. He was growing ever stronger and whatever happened, whatever she had changed, He would continue to become so.

November had only just begun but, being Scotland, the weather had turned to snow already and the bite in the air was tangible. Sirius had, since their confrontation and almost kiss (which she still found difficult to comprehend months later) in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place at the end of September, been writing to her weekly – but only to 'keep her off his back' so he said. She also promised, to allay the worries he had voiced in the tapestry room. Her new charge was to reveal a new thing about herself in each letter. So far her mother's maiden name (Harte – she had taken her mother's name for the purpose of anonymity) had been a disappointment as had her favourite food (gingerbread) and drink (Butterbeer). However he had been intrigued by her Patronus' form (an eagle) and her favourite spell (the wordless practise of flight which Snape had taught her when she was seventeen as an alternative to Apparition) and had made her swear to teach the spell to him one day. She had said she would but honestly she doubted he had the ability to carry the magic through. It was dark in nature and, for all his moods; Sirius was a creature of light. She, however, she had one foot in each door – always had. Her father had made sure of that.

"Ey now yer deep in thought fer such a nice day as this!" Hagrid announced from her side.

She looked up at him and smiled. She had grown so fond of the half giant in the last two months that she now mourned the fact she had never known what happened to him in her world. Perhaps it was just as well; perhaps she would not like what she would hear, but to have known him then would have been a light point in the darkness. His joviality rarely failed, even when faced with the hardest of tasks, and his knowledge of Dumbledore and the Order meant that, if she was careful, she could use simple spells in the hut in the evenings to keep in practise.

"It is beautiful," she agreed, pulling her massive furry coat around her (in fact one of Sirius' coats which he had lent her for 'the bloody awful winter' which she had graciously accepted) and increasing her stride in order to keep pace with Hagrid's loping movements. They had spent the afternoon in the Three Broomsticks; her first trip since in her world it was long since a Death Eater haven. The first Hogsmeade weekend of the school year had children out in droves, despite the heavy snow, and she smiled at the fact that many greeted her as well as Hagrid in passing. She had gained somewhat of a reputation after Duelling Snape without a wand and not being turned to a pile of slush. Teaming that with her no nonsense, and yet fair, approach to assisting Hagrid in his duties and she seemed to get on well with the students. Plus her and Snape's Duelling Club had become such a success that three nights a week, not one, with the year groups separated for the sake of age appropriate spell work, had been given to it. Dumbledore was delighted with the progress and Ana no less so. Snape remained cool as ever yet that didn't put her off; it was his way.

The majority of the staff were warm with her; Filch seemed to have developed an almost alarming adoration – though it was not surprising considering the way many teachers and students treated him. What was it Sirius always said? Something about looking at how someone treats their inferiors, not their equals, to get the true balance of them…

Sirius. Why was her mind always drawing back to that man? She was aware that, since entering the past, their dynamic was different. He was younger, yes, less cautious, more prone to the depression he had fought even when she knew him and yet…almost from the first moment she had seen him, definitely from the moment where she had saved his life in the Department of Mysteries, there had been something more lying beneath the surface. She was drawn to him and she was beginning to think that the feeling was not hers alone…

"Ay now tha's Harry Ron an' Hermione tha' is!" exclaimed Hagrid suddenly.

Ana looked up and squinted through the snowy scenery to try and pick out what could have been three figures up ahead. Perhaps it was easier to see at Hagrid's height but from where she was standing she could see very little but shadowy silhouettes. The snow was falling thicker than ever now. She pulled Sirius' coat tighter around herself and smiled slightly at the warmth it gave. She knew it smelt of him but immediately chastised herself for thinking it. She was no sop, no hopeless…romantic. She shuddered at the very thought of the word. She has a job to do; keep them safe – Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Tonks and yes, Sirius too…she couldn't do that if she was off having girlish fantasies. It was never going to happen anyway…she shook her head, telling herself to stop, just stop thinking, stop…

A piercing scream cut through the air, causing her to indeed stop thinking, as her head shot up and sourced the sound. She looked up and saw a red mark in the snow filled air, floating above, graceful apart from the terrible sound coming from it…right by where Hagrid said he's seen the children…

Ana broke into a run before she thought about it. Her every instinct was fought down, stopping her from drawing her wand, and she could hear Hagrid behind her closing in fast. She saw the red thing plummet towards the Earth and increased her speed. Ana sped towards the group and felt relief fill her as Harry Ron and Hermione were all seemingly unscathed. However another girl was standing by looking terrified and Ana recognised the child on the ground as Katie Bell. Her body had dropped so quickly and she was now sprawled in the snow, eyes open and unseeing, head twisting and turning in apparent fear.

She skidded onto her knees at the girl's side and gripped her head. Ana knew the signs, she had seen them before – the girl was under the influence of dark magic. Hagrid had lumbered up to her and she looked up to the large man and said quickly,

"Distract the other girl; I need to do something."

She gave him a pointed look and, thankfully, Hagrid seemed to understand her perfectly. He used his bulky form to block the other girl from sight and, throwing a look back to the trio to make sure they were still well, she dipped one hand into the folds of her skirts where hidden away was her wand and began furiously muttering under her breath. She used every healing method she had ever known, her free hand holding the girl's face as Katie's eyes began to shine with golden light. Finally she stopped twitching and once the light had faded Ana removed her hand.

"There now darling," she whispered to the girl, "You'll be alright."

If Katie heard her words there was no response.

"DO NOT touch that!" she heard Hagrid exclaim.

Ana rose to her feet and looked over to where Harry was looking; a package on the ground – unwrapped there next to it lay a leather case and beside it in the snow…

"Hagrid could you take Katie back to the castle?" she asked in a strained voice.

Hagrid nodded and, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he passed and almost causing her knees to buckle with the force of the act, he swept up Katie Bell and began murmuring away to her; little comforting words which meant nothing and yet were important nevertheless.

"Ana?" he asked.

It was only then that she realised that all eyes were on her as she fixed the necklace with a deadly glare. She could feel her hands shaking as she looked at the jewellery and quickly hid them in the folds of Sirius' coat.

"I'll bring the item and follow on with the children." she answered, turning to give him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. He nodded slowly and, looking back at Harry and the others one last time, turned to make his way back to the castle. Soon he was out of sight.

Ana turned and made her way over to the necklace. She knelt down in the snow beside it and pulled the thick moleskin wrapping towards her. Then, using it as a makeshift glove, she picked up the necklace in it and, with great care, slipped it back into the leather envelope it had come in. It was with great relief that she closed the envelope and picked it up, holding it overly tightly in her grasp as she looked to the children.

"None of you are hurt?" she asked. Her voice was stone cold calm but the shaking of her hands told a different story. They all shook their heads. "Alright then come on; we'll follow Hagrid back – I daresay the whole sorry thing will have to be told."

She turned and waited for the students to join her before beginning to head in Hagrid's footsteps back to the castle. The leather envelope was heavy in her hold and she felt the eyes of all four students turn on her often as they walked. However she said nothing, not another word, the whole way back.

* * *

><p>"You're sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she came to the Three Broomsticks?" asked Professor McGonagall of the girl. Ana had learned her name was Leanne upon entering the castle.<p>

"It's like I said," Leanne answered, her face pale as she spoke, "She left to go to the loo and when she came back she had the package. She said that it was important she deliver it."

From her spot, sat on the desk top directly behind Leanne, Ana could see the worry fighting its way onto Minerva's face; despite the witches' attempts to suppress it.

"Did she say to whom?" McGonagall asked with trepidation.

"To Professor Dumbledore." Leanne replied.

McGonagall nodded and Ana tightened her hands into fists at the confirmation. Someone had tried to kill Albus. The question was who would do it in such a clumsy way?

"Very well, thank you Leanne. You may go." McGonagall said quietly.

The girl turned to leave and Ana put out a hand as she went, holding onto the girl's wrist in a gentle grasp. Leanne turned her pallid face upwards and Ana felt pity for the child. She had seen such a terrible thing.

"If you want to talk, or just sit or anything…you know where I am." Ana offered gently. Leanne nodded with a barely there smile before Ana let her go and watched the girl leave the room; walking off to who knows where. Ana hoped she would go straight to her Common Room and find her friends. She needed them now.

"Why is it," began Minerva with a weary voice, "That whenever something happens it is always you three…?"

There was a pause before Ron replied,

"Believe me Professor; I've been asking myself the same question for six years."

Ana tilted her head. She had to hand it to them; the most dangerous event to touch Hogwarts since she had joined the castle and Harry Potter and co were right in the centre of it. Talk about trouble magnets.

"Oh; Severus!" Minerva exclaimed.

Ana turned her body around to see Snape stood in the doorway. He took in the scene, and offered a brief look to her, before sweeping down the length of the room and reaching the teaching plinth upon which the necklace, still securely in its box, now sat. He pulled out his wand and carefully made the necklace levitate upwards, turning slowly so that he could view it from all angles. Even from where she sat Ana could hear the echoes of long ago dealt pain emitting from the jewellery.

"What do you think?" Minerva asked tentatively.

"I think," he answered in a quiet voice, "Miss Bell is lucky to be alive."

"It's cursed, isn't it?" Harry spoke quickly; as though afraid of being reprimanded at any moment.

"Yes, it was cursed," she replied to him when no one else did, "By someone who knew what they were doing. Opals are perfect for any form of curse holding; they're healing stones by nature but that very nature means they hold more ill will than any other gemstone. They are made to pull pain and anguish from the holder but if the owner is powerful enough the nature of the stone can be reversed; so that pain and anguish is given – not taken. If she had more than brushed the tiny amount of skin she did against this then…the consequences would have been unthinkable."

There was silence meeting her answer and she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione were staring at her. She frowned as she saw the looks they were giving her; was that suspicion in their eyes?

"You seem very knowledgeable about this topic…Miss Harte."

She turned to the sound of Snape's voice and saw both he and Minerva were giving her the same looks the children were; wary – suspicious.

"Yes," she answered bluntly, "Yes I suppose I am."

"May I ask how you came about such….specific knowledge?" Snape pressed; his dark eyes boring into her own. She knew he was just dying to perform Legilimency on her. She gave him no ground – as ever.

"My mother," she replied, "It was…my mother died as a result of proximity with a dark item. An emerald ring though, not an Opal necklace, and nowhere near as potent as this…" she gestured to the still floating necklace before adding, "I found her. Not that there was much to find. I was nine at the time." Ana paused and when the silence continued she concluded with finality, "So yes; I know a thing or two about cursed jewels. I make a point of it in fact."

Again more silence before finally, thankfully, Snape inclined his head and looked away from her. She felt the air return to the room as his attack on her mind ceased and felt the others look away from her; almost as though ashamed for having suspected her. Well good, she thought, they should be. To think I would ever…

"Katie would never hurt a fly off the Quidditch pitch," Harry suddenly said, "So she had to have been under the Imperius Curse; she would never do it willingly!"

"Yes, Potter," Minerva answered; clearing her throat lightly, "I believe she was cursed."

"It was Malfoy." he exclaimed staunchly.

Instantly everyone's attention was drawn once again; although this time to Harry and not her. She rolled her eyes at his words – would his rivalry with Draco Malfoy never cease? Even his friends look at him with incredulity.

"Harry…" Ana said tiredly.

"That is a very serious accusation Potter." Minerva added.

"Indeed." Snape had turned and the look on his face was thunderous. "Your evidence?"

"I just know." responded Harry with conviction. Ana closed her eyes and waited for the volcano to erupt.

"You just…know." Snape said witheringly, "Once again you astonish me with your gifts, Potter, gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing. How grand it must be – to be the Chosen One."

Ana stood and shot Snape a look. If he noticed he paid no heed; still focusing his attention on giving Harry the most terrifying look he could muster.

"Harry," she tried instead, turning her own attention to the boy, "You cannot simply accuse fellow students of such serious crimes without any shred of proof…"

"But I know he's up to something! I know…"

"Harry!" Ana exclaimed, this time her tone warning. She was sure Snape didn't miss the change in her voice – she noted the sudden change in direction of his attention even as she kept her own on Harry. "This isn't the time or the place. Katie Bell almost died today and you're here throwing house rivalries into it. I'm very disappointed in you."

Silence met her words and though she could see Ron and Hermione were still shocked at Harry's accusation the boy himself had assumed a glum and yet defiant look.

"I suggest you go back to your dormitories; all of you." Minerva broke in; unfortunately doing nothing to break the heavy tension.

Ana watched the three until they had left the room completely and even then waited until she was sure they were at least halfway down the hall and entirely out of earshot before turning on Snape and demanding.

"Gifts mere mortals can only hope of possessing?" her re-quoting of him was angry as she held her left hand behind her back – hoping neither Professor before her would notice the intense shaking the limb was experiencing.

"Potter accused a member of my house of performing an Unforgivable…" Snape began.

"I don't care if Potter stood on his head and sung the Sorting Hat's introductory song in TROLL! He might have been out of line but so were you…"

"You are becoming perilously close to joining us, that being the case." Snape's voice had, if possible, taken on an even sleeker tone which only went to prove how much she was angering him with her questioning of his words.

"I will say this once, and only once," she answered in her own most dangerous voice, "I know you dislike the boy. What is more – I know why." she saw his eyes widen and nostrils flare at her words, no doubt the sincerity of her tone had convinced him of the truth, and yet she continued nonetheless, "Regardless of that knowledge, of your feelings, I am here to protect him. Therefore I will not have him attacked – justly or no."

Then she turned sharply on her heel and exited the classroom. Neither Snape nor McGonagall, who had been looking on in alarm, followed her. Ana could not have been more pleased of the fact. She needed to be alone. However first of all there was something more important than even that which needed to be done. So she dipped into the first unlocked and empty classroom she saw and pilfered a quill, a half empty and abandoned bottle of ink and a loose piece of parchment before turning her feet towards the direction of the Owlery. She had a letter to write.

* * *

><p><em> Dear Sirius<em>

_ Before I start I just want to tell you that Harry is fine. I know starting like that might make you worry more but if I didn't you'd be in Hogwarts giving me the ninth degree before you're finished reading and that would, let's say, be less than ideal. _

_ A girl got cursed today. She went to Hogsmeade and got put under the Imperius Curse. Whilst under the curse she was given a package; a necklace which held enough dark magic to kill whomsoever touched it, and the curser's intention was for her to give it to Dumbledore. But the girl never reached the castle; her hand brushed against the damn thing through a hole in her glove. I had to save her life, Sirius, I had to use magic and if Hagrid hadn't have been there someone would have seen. Any more contact than that which she had with it and she would have been dead. _

_I've not seen anything like what happened to her for so long; I've not heard anyone scream like that since Azkaban. _

_ She'll be alright I think. They took her to St Mungo's. But why I mention Harry is because he was there. He saw it happen; him and Ron and Hermione. It was outside, on the way back to Hogwarts; lucky really that Hagrid and I were nearby. If we hadn't been and Harry or one of the others had touched that necklace…I don't even want to think about what might have happened. But they're fine; Harry's fine. Although Snape is gunning for him as Harry decided to accuse Draco Malfoy of being the culprit – right in front of Snape of all people. Don't worry I told Snape where to get off but still...Harry's rivalry with Draco is out of control. He's determined the boy is a Death Eater. I don't know whether it's true or not – I don't know what to believe. Snape doesn't seem to put much store in it though so I suppose that's that because he would know…if Draco is a Death Eater I mean._

_ My hands are still shaking so I'm sorry that there are ink spots everywhere and my writing's a mess. I told them all about the necklace; about the opals and the dark magic and then they wanted to know how I knew. So I had to tell them about my mother. About how a cursed ring killed her – not just killed her; destroyed her. They said when they thought you'd killed Pettigrew there was just a finger left…well there was more than that of my mother but…I wish there was less. Not enough to bury; enough to burn – enough to mourn. It was Voldemort that gave her the ring; gave it her through my father. He almost died from shame afterwards; almost died from the guilt of having killed her. I was only nine but even then I thought, somewhere in my mind, that maybe he'd done her a favour. It was quick; it would have been less so if she'd died another way. _

_ I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I'm sat in the Owlery amongst the feathers and the droppings and I can't seem to stop writing. I probably won't send…oh but I have to so you know Harry is alright. Well maybe I'll add a note to the top of the paper telling you only to read the first half of the letter. Although knowing you that'll make you more likely than not to read the whole thing. Curiosity was always such a strong thing in you; still is as far as I know. _

_ But enough now; I've already said so much that I'll probably regret it once the owl has left the Owlery. I'll keep an eye on Harry; make sure he's alright – on Ron and Hermione too. They shouldn't have seen something so terrible…though a part of me is painfully sure that they've seen worse. _

_Stay safe, Sirius. Please stay safe. _

_ -Ana._

She attached the letter to the leg of a proud looking brown owl and watched as it ruffled its feathers before flying off into the snow. She kept watching it until it was no longer visible and then sat again on the floor. She waited there a long time, until her hands stopped shaking. It was almost midnight before she left the tower to head for the cabin. Her fingers still twitched as she shut the Owlery door behind her.


	19. House Divides

**House Divides (November 1996)**

Ana strode down the corridors, her mind focused as she went. She had received a reply to her owl from Sirius that morning and, although for the most part he had been very sweet about her outburst in paper and ink form, one thing he had said had made her blood boil.

_As for the Malfoy kid; I reckon Harry's probably right. They've got bad blood; the Malfoy's. The boy was bound to follow his family in that._

So; yes Lucius Malfoy had tortured her in Azkaban and yes Draco Malfoy had been a Death Eater in her time. But that was no reason for Sirius to mark the boy for dark deeds now. People could change – she'd seen it; no one had to be a prisoner of their blood status or family connections and she was appalled that Sirius could even begin to think such a thing. It was Death Eater philosophy – and she had told him so in a very hastily written response which she was now on her way to send via the Owlery.

However it wasn't just his words that had riled her. She was self-aware enough to know that there was something else about what he had written which had caught her unawares and caused such a violent reaction. Her Sirius would have never said such a thing. Her Sirius believed that everyone had the potential for good, and for evil, and that no one was set on one path alone. He had told her that so many times it had often made her head hurt. So why did Sirius from ninety six not feel the same way? Why could he not see? For if people were bound by the actions of their fathers what then was she supposed…?

She stopped as she heard something up ahead. Frowning Ana tentatively took a step forward before stopping to listen once again. It sounded like…snuffling? Had someone let a Red Cap into the castle? If they had Ana swore she would enter into a personal crusade to find the culprit and give them a lifetime of detentions…the things had been a nightmare for her and Hagrid to round up after the last third year lesson Hagrid had decided to use them in. The blighters were faster than a Snatcher on a good day. She'd rather face Snatchers in fact. At least she could kill them.

She stepped around the corner; ready to pounce on what she presumed would be an angry looking creature of relatively small size, only to find instead a red haired student of decidedly fifth year size. Ana stopped for a second, realising as she did so that the girl was crying. She then finally took proper note of the red hair and murmured gently,

"Ginny?"

The girl looked up and surely enough it was Ginevra Weasley. Her pale face was red as her hair and her eyes swollen from what looked like a protracted period of crying.

"Ginny? What's the matter?"

Ana watched as the girl scrubbed at her eyes, obviously embarrassed at having been caught crying, before muttering,

"Nothing, it's nothing A…Miss Harte."

Ana came to stand beside her and leaned on the wall next to the girl; simply standing in silence for a few moments as Ginny tried to compose herself.

"I hear," Ana said at last when she was sure Ginny was free from tears, "That you are currently in a relationship with one Dean Thomas."

Another tiny snuffle, in Ana's mind, confirmed the fact.

"And that the Gryffindor Common Room has more than once been the stage for your and Dean's…less than blissful moments. Am I right?"

"Yes." Ginny said quietly, sounding sullen at her business being known by teachers.

"Well," Ana said, "I can't say I know much about men – not being in relationships with them anyway. Fleeing for my life from them, yes, protecting them from their own stupid obstinacy – and I don't have to tell you who that's about…" Ginny let out a tiny chuckle which Ana took to be encouragement, "…yes. But relationships…no cigar I'm afraid. I could, I suppose, tell you a few choice curses off the top of my head but I don't think that's the way we should be taking this conversation somehow…"

"Speak for yourself!" Ginny exclaimed.

Ana smiled.

"Believe me cursing people doesn't solve your problems. Remember when I said I gave Snuffles the Bat Bogey Hex of a lifetime…?"

"…for saying something about Snape, yeah." Ginny answered.

"Well he was very, very upset. As in 'not talking to me for a month' upset. Well in the end it got me so lonely in that big old house, with only Sir Mood-a-lot for company, that I ended up apologising to him…which was not exactly how I imagined the scenario turning out I might add. So I would suggest that instead of resorting to violence instead you should sit down and think, Ginny. That's what I would do. Sit and think about what's good about being with Dean and what's bad and if the bad outweighs the good then…well. It's up to you really - just a suggestion."

"Yeah, I know, it's just…" Ginny sighed. "It's really nice sometimes, you know? I really like him and everything is great and then he just says something and…" Ginny stopped and turned to look at Ana, who was still keeping her gaze firmly fixed straight ahead. "I can't believe I'm talking about this with a teacher."

Ana laughed; she couldn't believe she was talking about it at all.

"It's obviously why they brought me in; Ana Harte – relationship advice bureau."

"They'd have to, bring someone in I mean, can you imagine talking about boys with McGonagall?" Ginny asked, barely stifling laughter as she spoke.

"Or one of the others… Professor Snape?" Ana suggested, eliciting a wild giggle from Ginny.

"Oh Merlin, can you imagine? I think he'd do himself in right then and there. Better not tell Harry and Ron that though – if they thought it stood a chance they'd bribe the entire Gryffindor house to take their teenage problems to Snape in the hope that he'd vanish himself."

Ana finally looked over to Ginny; whose eyes were still red but otherwise now seemed far better, and smiled softly.

"Going somewhere nice?" she gestured to the black, sparkly dress the girl had on.

"Oh…yeah, well – maybe. Slughorn has this dinner thing on though I'm really late…"

"You should go." Ana said, standing up and making to leave, "Dessert is the best part of the meal anyway. Plus you never know who else you might meet there..."

With that cryptic message Ana began to walk away. However after only a couple of steps she heard Ginny call out from behind her.

"Ana?" she turned to see the girl standing looking after her, "Thanks."

Ana nodded, made a shooing gesture and watched as Ginny turned and headed off down the corridor. She waited until Ginny was gone and then fished the note to Sirius from her pocket and screwed it into a tight ball. She would rewrite a much less judgemental reply up in the Owlery.

* * *

><p>"Nicely done Neville!" Ana exclaimed, watching as Neville half stumbled, half side stepped a Stunning Charm and grinned proudly to find himself still on his feet. He gave her an, if possible, even wider grin before sending a spell in return at his partner which was several feet wide of its mark.<p>

"Mr Finnegan must I remind you yet again that you are holding a wand; not a club?" snarled Snape from the other side of the room.

Ana sighed. Duelling Club was fantastic; it kept her busy, it kept her hand in, but there was one tiny thing which stopped the Club from being something the entire school indulged in. That thing was most definitely Professor Snape. Most people feared Defence enough – extra classes with Snape were the stuff of nightmares to a large portion of the school. It was only her presence which made sure that most students continued to attend – she had more than once freed a student from Snape's hard clutches and her regular defence of the kids meant that they just about kept coming – despite the regular dressing downs.

She made her way around the room, having to dodge a badly thrown spell or two as she went, keeping an eye on Snape as much as the students. He was brilliant, she had to admit it, his spell work was flawless and his execution beautiful but his temperament…Duelling Club seemed only to make him hate the children more. Sirius had nearly had a heart attack when she said she and Snape had teamed up on the venture. Though his confusion had greatly lessened when she said it gave her regular opportunities to engage Snape in battle; verbally and otherwise, without getting cursed into next millennium.

Severus Snape's views on her, as far as she could tell, were neutral. It was the best she could hope for really; a neutral Snape was a rare thing. Since her cryptic mention of his past two weeks before in front of Professor McGonagall he had shown no sign that the confrontation had even occurred. No doubt he had thought it an idle threat. Better, in her mind, to keep it that way. Usually his emotions ranged from anger to extreme anger and back again through the path of bitterness and a fair amount of sneering for good measure. In many ways her relationship with this Snape was the same as the one she had experienced with the Snape from her time. The only difference was that people had been a lot less likely to be cruel to Severus Snape in her time than this one. He was somewhat of a hero and even Sirius gave him grudging respect; a far cry from the constant goading which was given out in ninety six.

"Keep your feet moving Dean!" Ana called, watching Ginny catch Dead Thomas with a lovely curse which caused his face to go a startling shade of yellow. She threw Ginny a wink while Dean had his back turned which with answered with a sunny smile from the girl.

"Mr Potter!" Ana felt dread mount in her stomach at the sound of the voice matched with the spoken words. Snape had found his way back to Harry – again.

"Do you truly have no notion of how to cast a simple defensive charm after six years of study? I am astounded. Your lack of perception is…"

"I DID cast it!" Harry muttered, looking to the floor in order to try to keep his anger in check. Snape merely raised a single eyebrow laconically.

"Evidently not," he gestured with a sweeping motion to Harry's right arm which bore a nasty rash – the result of a stinging hex no doubt, spreading up it as they spoke.

"Harry!" Ana called out across the room; causing Harry, Ron (who has Harry's partner and had, Ana suspected, had no part in the Stinging Hex currently adorning his friend's arm) and Snape to all look over to her. "You're with me!"

She saw Snape shoot her a look and returned it with an even glare of her own. After a moment he swept away; no doubt off to terrorise elsewhere. Harry ambled over to her, his face sullen, leaving Ron to join Hermione and Luna Lovegood.

"You alright?" she asked quietly as he reached her side.

"Yeah, it's just…" he stopped, obviously not sure as to what to say. She was a member of the Order, an ally, and yet also a teacher.

"Snape is a brilliant wizard, Harry, and I have the utmost respect for him…but he's a moody git all the same; don't think I don't know that – oh Merlin I know it."

Harry gave her a small smile before saying,

"Well thanks – for getting me out of it I mean."

She nodded, looking around the room surreptitiously and noticing that a large group of Slytherins were working in a tight huddle not three steps from where Harry had been hexed. Most had satisfied sneers on their faces and were casting glances towards where Harry now stood at her side. There was the source of that mysterious Hex then.

"Fancy a show?" she asked Harry, giving him a wry look. He frowned up at her, his eyes questioning. She smiled before heading off towards the group of Slytherins. As she had expected Draco Malfoy was at the centre of the group; she had a notion that Snape had made Malfoy's attendance at Duelling Club compulsory – no doubt to keep an eye on the boy. He seemed even more pallid than usual – if that were possible.

"Mr Malfoy – perhaps you could aid me in a demonstration? I hear your Hexes are coming along nicely; perhaps you'd like to showcase your talents?"

Before the slightly stunned group had even had the chance to register her arrival she grabbed Draco by the arm and pulled him to the centre of the room.

"Listen up; everyone listen!" she yelled; instantly gaining attention. She smiled as the students gathered round hurriedly. Perhaps they thought she and Snape were about to have another smack down.

"You've been coming to Duelling Club for two months now; most of you anyway. You've learned a lot of new spells courtesy of Professor Snape and some new ways of moving out of the way of said spells courtesy of me. Now I suggest we see that put into practise. Usual concept; me wandless – obviously – and Mr Malfoy here is going to be my attacker. Draco…" she gestured for him to pull out his wand.

He did so and gave her a dark look. She knew in that moment he wasn't going to go easy on her. She smiled; good – Malfoy needed a challenge; something for him to focus on.

"Surely an unfair advantage Miss Harte…" Snape broke in, moving from the side lines to stand between her and Draco, "Your…experience outweighs Mr Malfoy's considerably…"

"As will a Death Eater's." she answered bluntly, "As will any of age witch or wizards. You surprise me, Professor, I thought you wished for the students to learn from their mistakes?"

She saw his eyes were still, dark and penetrating, but in his head his mind was whirring. Finally he gave her a sharp nod before drawing back to the side of the crowd of children. However she noted his wand was still in his hand.

"Draco," she turned to the determined looking boy and instructed, "Hit me with your favourite …any one will do."

His smirk told her exactly what he was going to do before he did it. His wand moved in an overtly complicated swishing motion and she stepped smoothly to her right at the last possible moment; carefully averting being scalped.

"An instant scalping hex?" she asked, intrigued, "Strange favourite; Draco. Again – this time something less…odd perhaps? More battle ready. And when you cast it try not to let your eyes give you away – you do the wand motion with your pupils before you even move your arm."

She saw his eyes were widen for a split second before his brow furrowed and he seemed then bent on concentration. She could see also that he was trying to keep his eyes very still; abnormally so, and would have laughed if he wasn't doing exactly as she had asked.

The next spell was harder to see coming. However she tracked the movement and realised that a Leg Locker Curse was weaving its way towards her a bare half second before she fell into a fore ward roll and came to stand on her feet once the spell had passed over her head.

"Much better! You're thinking less brutally and more strategically. A scalping hex would simply give me a haircut – a Leg Locker would stop me in my tracks…yes, wonderful – again."

Draco's eyes were wider than ever at her praise and she was sure many of the other students were surprised. In her time at the castle she had become an honorary Gryffindor supporter apparently – with or without her consent.

Draco snapped back to the moment and, with a small sneer gracing his lip, he threw first one spell, and then another, in quick succession at her. She sidestepped the first and arched her back so the other passed over her head – the magic passing within two or three inches of her nose. She raised herself back up and smiled with satisfaction.

"Very good – especially that last one…a Full Body Bind wasn't it? Nice; I could feel the strength as it passed over me. Great; Draco, but now we're at the last stand. You need to take me out; okay? Because if you don't I'm going to come over there and take you out. Ready?"

Before he'd given any indication she broke into a run at full pelt towards him. His pale face bore nothing but surprise as he took a couple of stumbling steps backwards before hastily throwing first one spell, and then another, at her. She skidded under the first jet of light, regaining her footing and carrying on without pause, and ducked the second, even as a third came soaring through the air. Ana span aside, missing it by mere inches, and now she was less than two feet from Draco. She saw his wand was raised at her face and heard him shout something as a jet of bright light emitted from the wand tip. She fell to her knees, bending back so her head touched the floor, and skidded the last few inches between her and Draco. She then proceeded to grab him by the knees and pull him down onto the floor. He yelped as she did so and within a second she had his wand from him and had an arm pinning him down from shoulder to collar bone.

Everything was quiet in the room with only Draco's heavy breathing and her own quick breaths making any sound. She smiled down at the boy, giving him a wink before levering herself up and offering him and hand. He gave her a foul look before scrambling up himself without aid and brushing down his robes – unnecessarily as the floor was cushioned for the very purpose of the Duelling Club meeting.

"That," she announced, looking round at the assembled group who were a mixture of outraged and delighted at what had happened to Draco, "Was some excellent spell work."

She saw Draco look up at her quickly in surprise.

"In quick succession we saw some pretty powerful hexes and jinxes thrown there – and if Mr Malfoy's aim had been just a tiny bit truer I'd probably be on the floor by now. That's what I want to be seeing from you all – fluid spell work, inventive use of spells and, most importantly, the sense to put some distance between yourself and your attacker. Draco's first instinct was to back away and that's good – if you're faced with a witch or wizard more powerful than you then sometimes it will be right to run. Don't forget it's called fight or flight for a reason. I might not be able to do magic but I know good practise when I see it."

She turned to Draco with a smile and nodded to him.

"Nicely done, Mr Malfoy; very impressive. Now unless Professor Snape has any more to add…?" she looked to Snape would was eyeing her in the way Buckbeak the Hippogriff would eye Fang sometimes outside the cabin – with distrust and the suppressed urge to attack – and took his silence to be meaning the negative.

"Right then; dismissed."

For a moment no one moved. Then, slowly, the students began milling away – chattering amongst themselves, a little laughter throw in, but mostly odd glances at her. She simply smiled in return and turned to go and seek out Harry only to find Draco Malfoy still standing where she had left him.

"Draco? Are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I…?"

"NO!" Malfoy exclaimed over quickly, "No…no I'm fine."

She smiled gently and took a step closer so she wouldn't be overheard.

"You know, Mr Malfoy, I find it odd that people assume to be good you must be a Gryffindor and bad Slytherin. Where's the variety in that?"

He frowned up at her and said in answer,

"But you knocked me down, in front of everyone, and then said I was good…"

"You were good, Malfoy – I was just better. Which, as I'm older and more experienced than you, isn't exactly Prophet worthy. You'll learn, you'll get stronger and you'll one day be faster than me, plus wand of course…this is just a beginning for you. There's a whole life lying ahead for you to be the best."

He gave her a funny look before moving off without a word. She turned to see his friends immediately descend on him but he seemed to push them away or else answer with only half responses. A voice very close by saying her name caused her snap out of her reverie and turn to find…

"Professor Snape. I trust you enjoyed my demonstration?"

"I found it…quite informative." he answered, giving nothing away and yet clearly saying something nonetheless.

"I hoped so. I wanted to show that talent is a personal, not house, trait. I don't slam my students because of which colour scarf they wear to Quidditch matches. I trust you follow the same philosophy?"

His nostrils flared and he let a silence stretch out instead of responding.

"Whatever it is, Severus," she murmured, stepping closer as she had with Draco – though she doubted her words would be heard over the still murmuring students collecting their things before they left anyway, "Whatever makes you treat them the way you were treated when you were a child…you need to stop because it's not you."

"You presume to know me?" he asked in his dangerous tone.

She smiled a half smile and answered honestly,

"It's funny, I know you better than you know yourself. Always have done and you hated it back then as well. You hated it because it reminded you of her."

Ana made to move off into the crowd only for Snape's arm to shoot out and grab hers, his grip painfully tight. She didn't flinch.

"Who?" he asked, grating out the words.

"If you need to ask you're not ready for me to tell you." she answered before shaking herself free and calling after Harry who was talking animatedly with Ginny Weasley.

Ana felt her heart lighten to see how Ginny's face had lit up whilst speaking with the boy who lived. She almost didn't want to join them and ruin the moment; however she had some questions about the match the next day that only Harry, as Gryffindor Captain could answer. Ana left the Hall with the trio and Ginny. Snape didn't follow.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Sirius,<em>

_ The world is not divided into good people and Death Eaters. _

_ Three guesses who taught me that?_

_ -Ana_

* * *

><p>It was the morning of the Quidditch match and Ana was walking out across the grounds, no House scarf adorning her neck as she didn't want to show partiality. However there was a tiny Gryffindor button in her coat pocket – just something Harry had insisted she wear as a 'sleeper supporter'. It had seemed churlish to refuse.<p>

It was because her mind was firmly fixed on Quidditch that she didn't see the owl swooping towards her until it almost took off her head. She ducked at the last moment, whirling round to see the owl doing the same and coming back towards her – this time at a more sedate pace. Finally the pretty snowy owl (was it Hedwig, she wondered, and why would Harry be sending her a letter if it was?) came to settle on the ground before her and promptly began to peck at her boot. She waved a hand to stop it before untying the little note attached to its leg. It was on red paper – not a Howler though as there was no envelope – what did red mean? Not danger, not…oh yes. Urgent delivery – but who would be sending her a priority owl?

She unrolled the note and looked at the familiar scrawl which lay inside.

_-A_

_Moony's hurt. Come home. Hurry. _

_ -S_

* * *

><p><strong>CLIFFHANGER OF EVIL. <strong>


	20. Something Breaks

**Something Breaks (November 1996)**

For a long moment Ana simply stared at the scrap of paper clutched in her hands. Moony was hurt? Remus was hurt? How, what had happened, when…?

Her mind finally caught up with itself and she looked to the sky, now filled with weak winter sun and an expanse of pale blue but the night before dominated with a full, orb like moon.

She broke into a run, turning and heading towards the school gates. She couldn't use flight – someone would surely see a black shadow flying through the grounds and raise the alarm; it was a Death Eater favourite after all, so she ran as fast as she could, her calf high boots gripping the snowy ground as her skirts flew around her. She shouldn't have pulled her bodice so tight, she thought as she raced for the huge, imposing gates which were still some distance away, it was making drawing large breaths all but impossible.

Finally she came to the gates. Looking around quickly, scanning the grounds and noting that there was no one in sight (thank goodness for the Quidditch game – everyone would already be in the stands no doubt) she withdrew her wand from the holster hidden on her outer thigh and tapped it once against the sturdy iron. The gates groaned, creaking outwards a couple of feet and giving her enough space to slip through the gap. She closed the gates hurriedly, her heart thudding, as she looked around – constantly waiting for someone to appear and ask her what in hell she was doing. If someone did happen to see her she'd have to wipe their memories – which would further delay her from reaching Remus and Sirius.

Once Ana had closed the gates she pressed her back against the stone which bordered the grounds; a wall which stretched miles in both directions, and focusing with all her might on Grimmauld Place she Disapparated. The risk was great – but Remus was more important than her cover as a Squib being blown.

She landed on the doorstep in the gloomy London street and without pausing turned the door handle and stepped inside the house. As soon as she shut out the murky light from outside and turned into the darkness of the hallway she heard the house once again making itself invisible from the outside world; the grating and crunching loud over the complete silence of the long stretch of parquet before her.

"Sirius!" she called out, rushing towards the staircase, which was the best place to shout from if you wanted your voice to be heard throughout the entire house (Remus had once told her all about acoustics but she had paid little attention) and praying for a response.

A crashing sound coming from the first sitting room, right by the front door, broke through the faint echoes of her voice and she whipped her head around to see Sirius practically fall out of the room and look around for her wildly.

"Ana?" he shouted, looking to the front door before turning and seeing her; relief at the sight of her visible on his face. "Come on, quick, in here. Moony's…he's pretty badly battered – I didn't know who else to Owl."

She rushed over to him and swept past him into the room. The sight which met her eyes made her gut wrench painfully and she only just managed not to avert her eyes from the sight awaiting her.

Remus Lupin was lying next to a roaring fire but his body was still sporadically shaking – though whether it was tremors or cold or a mixture of both Ana couldn't tell. His face was a bloody pulp; deep gashes and grazes covered the flesh on his cheeks, forehead and chin. His nose was definitely broken. A pale hand was reaching out of the pile of blankets Sirius had no doubt planted onto his friend in order to keep the man warm. It had at least two broken fingers and the thumb too was sticking out at an odd angle. Most of the rest of Remus was concealed by the blankets but the one thing which was most painful, the thing which she found hardest to look at, was his eyes. One was black rimmed with a bloody tinge to the white whilst the other stared out at her blankly, without recognition. However the soft blue brought her back to her senses. She moved.

"Remus?" she whispered, taking three strides forwards and falling to her knees next to him.

She received no reply and produced her wand; running a brief diagnostic spell over his body – something she had learned early on in her training through the various Order members. Healing protocol; stage one – ascertain the damage.

She counted off the different coloured glowing lights which hung over the injured man's body. A yellow hue for breaks, white for organ damage and red for open wounds…it looked as if a series of rainbows had opened up above Remus' body.

"What do they mean?" asked a shaky voice from her side. She hadn't noticed Sirius come to kneel beside her. She reached out and gently squeezed Sirius' knee.

"Four broken ribs, lung damage – probably from the ribs, seventeen…no, eighteen open wounds, one leg broken in two places though the other looks to have gotten off with just bruising…" she stopped and swallowed. "I need clean hot water, some fresh towels and bandages to wrap the wounds…can you do that for me Sirius?"

There was silence for a moment and she looked to the other man to see him staring at his childhood friend; his expression bleak.

"Sirius?" she asked again. He started.

"Yeah…yes, I'll go…" he rose unsteadily and stumbled out of the room. She waited until his footsteps had faded into the house before looking back to Remus.

"Merlin above darling what have you gotten into?" she whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from his bloodied face and taking a deep breath. "This is going to hurt and awful lot – I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

She raised her wand with a shaking hand and began to mutter. There was no sound but her voice for a few long seconds until without warning a high pitched keening began; rising in volume and coming to a height at which her voice was almost drowned out completely. She watched Remus twitch as he whined; like a baby been given Skele-Gro, and steeled herself; forcing her voice to remain strong and the movement of her wand sure as she worked. She vaguely heard Sirius come back with the requested water, bandages and towels but she felt his presence leave the room soon after with a string of muttered curses his only contribution.

After a few minutes Remus' keening turned to screams. She blinked away her tears and continued onwards. It wasn't the first time she had treated Remus after a full moon – when Tonks had died she had partially taken over the role along with Sirius and Fleur Weasley; who had a great aptitude for healing spells. However he had never been quite so severely injured as this and she had never been asked to heal him without various poultices and potions handy. Whatever had happened, however he had made his way back to Grimmauld Place in such a state, if he survived it would be a small miracle.

Not long after she dealt with the damage to his lungs, her breath coming in rushed gasps as she tried to uttered the complicated stream of charms as quickly as she could so he would have to suffer as little as possible, Remus fell abruptly quiet. The closing of his eyes and his constant, if slightly irregular, breathing told her he was unconscious. Good, Ana thought – she had been frightened that putting him into an unnatural state of slumber would do more harm than good. However if he was unconscious she would not have to remember all the pain she was causing. It didn't make things easier.

She didn't know how long she cast spells over the body of her friend. He drifted in and out of consciousness and once he started to say something; but she could only make out the word 'help' and decided she would much rather not know what it was he was saying. Most of the time he simply lay there, blissfully unconsciousness. When he was awake his grunts of pain and occasionally shouts – more than once developing into full blooded screams, caused tears to leak from her eyes as she tried to be stoic. Sirius did not return to the room. She felt a tiny sense of betrayal at that; that he called her to do the deed and didn't have the courage to stay with her until it was done.

Finally her task was finished. She dropped her wand unceremoniously and placed both palms flat on the floor, supporting her weight as she took in deep, steadying breaths; there was a cold sweat on her brow which had run down her face and onto her neck and chest without her realising. A small sound from Remus' prone form caused her to clench her teeth together tightly for a moment, readying herself to finish the job, before rising up onto stiff knees and falling into a sitting position at his side. She looked down to see his face was pale; ridiculously pale in contrast with the partially dried blood adorning it, and whilst one eye was swollen shut now the other was open and staring up at her.

"Hello stranger," she murmured gently, "How are you feeling?"

He groaned and closed his eye.

"I'm not surprised," she replied with a sad smile, "You got yourself in a pretty state."

He made a deep guttural sound, as though finding strength from some deep, hidden space, before opening his eye and again slowly breathing out,

"Wolf…pack…Greyback…"

She nodded wordlessly and leaned over to cover his lips with a finger.

"I know," she answered, "Full moon, group of wolves…it was never going to be fun and games. But surely Dumbledore knew the habits of Greyback's pack? They're beasts; they hunt and if they can't find prey they turn on each other…"

"He knew." Remus croaked. Ana's jaw twitched.

"Right," she muttered after a long moment of silence, "I'm going to clean you up…" she stopped at the visible flinch he could not hide at her words, "No more spells, I promise, the worst is over. But I need to check everything worked properly, wash away the blood and then get you somewhere more comfortable. I'll be gentle as I can."

He hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you anything to relieve the pain," she began conversationally, carefully picking up a towel and dipping the end in the now comfortably warm water before squeezing it out lightly and applying it gently to the first cut; running through an eyebrow and stopping half an inch from his eyelid.

"I was worried about it shielding any of your injuries and I didn't want you to sleep too deeply so anything that knocked you out was a no go. Plus I doubt Sirius has anything potions wise other than Pepper Up in this place – did you know it has fantastic properties for the treating of monster hangovers?"

Remus gave a weak chuckle at that; instantly wincing at the action. She continued to sponge away at the blood on his face; slowly revealing his features to her once again. His nose was straight and healed now but nonetheless she went especially carefully around that area. Once she came to his lip she noticed one of his front teeth was broken…however Ana refrained from fixing it then and there. She had promised him no more magic, for now, and had no intention no breaking that promise.

Once his face and neck was clear of blood Ana placed down the towel and began carefully unbuttoning Remus' shirt. She got three buttons undone before a white, shaking hand clasped lightly around on of her wrists. She looked up into Remus' eyes and smiled gently,

"Believe me; this is nothing I haven't seen before. Back in the other time I've seen you naked more times than I've seen Molly's Sunday Roast – and Molly cooked Sunday Roast at Grimmauld Place once a week for five years or so."

She cemented her words with a fleeting wink which caused Remus to cough, his thin body shaking with the motion. Ana merely continued to unbutton his shirt; his hand no longer impeding her actions.

"Don't worry it wasn't like that," she continued as she made her progress, "You got a lot of injuries – you know how it is with the change when you're older. No matter the Wolfsbane you still got yourself into scrapes and the transformations left you with a fair bit of damage – which is where I came in. Fixing you up became my speciality."

She finished unbuttoning the shirt and carefully parted it; revealing a chest which was covered in paper thin skin; ribs showing clearly through the milky covering and a stomach caved with under-eating. Ana fought the urge to flinch at the sight and won. There were a fair few scars there; both the fresh and those older than she was sitting side by side, and the sparse scattering of hair on his upper chest was grey – with exhaustion, not age.

She sponged his chest gently; there wasn't much blood there so the task was quickly done, and unbuttoned his trousers in what she hoped was a matronly fashion. Not that she knew quite what a matronly fashion was. Before pulling the garment down she hesitated and offered,

"I could try and find Sirius – ask him to do this for you, if you like?"

Remus shook his head slowly and with much effort.

"He's…probably piss drunk…by now." the man spoke weakly; his voice hoarse from the shouting from earlier and still shaky. However she did think he sounded stronger; stronger than before at any rate.

"Better hope not, for his sake." she said darkly before tugging down Remus' trousers, taking her time and allowing him to readjust his weight so she could remove the garments entirely. It was only when they were off that she paused and looked at him with confusion.

"If you got these injuries during a transformation then why are you wearing clothes?" she asked, "Surely you should be…well…clothes-less?"

Remus shrugged a shoulder, looking as though he instantly regretted it as a wave of pain showed clearly on his face.

"Woke up with…with them on. Don't know how it happened…don't know how." He trailed off, seemingly too tired to carry on, and closed his eyes for a long while.

Ana checked his legs and found them without any fresh marks – the bones had healed well enough under her spell but some Skele-Gro to strengthen the repairs wouldn't hurt. She used a discarded blanket to cover up his lower half before leaning forward and gently stroking his hair back from his face; causing his eyes to flutter open once again.

"I'm going to transfigure you a bed down here, alright? You shouldn't be moved too far but I daresay I can manage levitating you up a few feet."

He nodded slowly and she set about the task; transfiguring an old, discarded two seater of a withered sage green colour in the corner of the room into a comfortable looking double bed with mattress, pillows and cushions complete. Minerva McGonagall would have given her a billion house points for such a feat, she thought idly. Then, with as much delicacy as she could, she levitated a groaning Remus up onto the bed, allowing him to half crawl, half drag himself into a comfortable position. She then transfigured one of the blankets Sirius had provided into a coverlet and pulled it up over Remus' chest. Ana herself perched on the edge of the bed, running a hand across his brow as he settled back into the pillows cautiously.

"You don't have a fever," she murmured, "And though you're pale you're nowhere near as pale as you were before. I think you're going to make a full recovery, my dear invalid."

He smiled weakly and reached up to take her hand in his own larger one.

"Thank you," he whispered, "Without you…"

She hushed him before he could say it.

"You will be fine," she insisted, leaning over and pressing a chaste kiss to his temple, "But don't ever scare me like that again – you hear? My wrath will be unchecked if you do."

"You were worried about me?" he asked quietly; his good eye was already beginning to look unfocused and she knew that in his new, comfortable bed he would soon be fast asleep.

"Of course, silly," she whispered, "I love you - you're like a brother to me; which might seem strange to you who've only know me six months but to me? To me it's the most natural thing in the world. I couldn't bear it if I lost you."

She smiled to see his eye was already closed and his breathing steady. A slight rumble in his chest told her he had fallen asleep. Ana replaced his hand, still loosely holding hers, at his side and stood, leaving the room but keeping the door open in case he should wake up and call for her. She needed to send an Owl to Dumbledore; Poppy Pomfrey would probably be able to correct anything Ana hadn't had the skill or resources to right. She threw one last look over her shoulder, as though to make sure Remus was still there, before leaving the room and heading for the kitchen.

Even before Ana opened the door she knew Sirius was in there. She could hear the sound of a glass banging onto the wooden table and the sloshing of more liquid being tipped into said glass. She didn't even pause, opening the door and entering the room quietly, without drama, as her eyes fell on a very drunk Sirius Black.

He was seated at the table, his chair backwards and one arm leaning across the back, his legs spread so one fell on either side, chin resting on the supporting arm. His other hand was occupied with the tumbler of Firewhiskey, not his first, or second, or even sixth or seventh if his shaking grip and slumped posture was anything to go by. She pressed the door shut with her back and allowed him the time to down the drink, swallowing the stuff down in one smooth gulp, before announcing her presence with a steady,

"Remus is going to be alright; I think,"

She saw Sirius' head twitch to the side, in her direction, his body stiffening for a moment, before he slammed the glass back down on the table and poured another drink. He had obviously charmed the bottle to refill endlessly as it was still, even after he poured another generous tot, to all appearances completely full.

Calmly Ana walked over to the table and, sweeping past Sirius as he downed yet another mouthful of the horrible alcohol, she picked up the bottle and took a swig herself, wincing as the liquid burned her throat, before walking over to the iron stove and smashing the container to smithereens, less than if it were possible, on the hard surface. A shout of anger from Sirius was answered by her dropping the half on the bottle she still held and grinding her boot into it ferociously; looking with satisfaction at the brown, glass filled puddle on the floor at her feet.

"What THE FUCK are you doing woman?" he slurred, standing unsteadily and giving her a murderous look before making a tumbling approach and coming to stop a few inches away from her. His fetid breath was heavy with drink and she could not hide the disgust on her face as he tried to focus on her with heavy grey eyes.

"Your best friend almost died. You called me, and I came – I don't begrudge you that – I came and I did…" her trembling voice broke as her calm façade collapsed around her, "I did terrible spells on him, some ones I'd never admit to knowing, to make sure that he lived – that he lived unmarred by this; and where were you? Where were you Sirius? Sat in here getting shit faced whilst I listened to his screams…"

She raised her hand to hit him before she even realised she had done it…however his own hand came up, his speed and accuracy belying his drunken state, catching her wrist and holding it in a vice like grip.

"You think I didn't hear?" his tone was harsh now and she could almost believe she had knocked him out of drunkenness with her words. Or perhaps he had never really been bladdered; maybe he just wanted to pretend he was.

"The whole damn country probably would have heard if this place wasn't warded like Azkaban itself!" she exclaimed, "Heard me trying to help him – help him! I had to cause him more hurt than he probably felt when attacked to try and fix the damage and you…you left me. You left me to do it alone and you left him to suffer alone. What is WRONG with you?"

He shoved her back and she stumbled, not expecting it, going back four or five paces before her back thudded into the wall at the far end of the room. He prowled towards her, following her stumbling step for stumbling step, before without warning pulling his wand out and pointing it neatly at her throat with a hand which was only shaking slightly.

For a long moment everything was silent as she looked along the length of the wand to his face. In thirteen years he had never raised a wand to her; apart from when questioning her identity at one time or another (which was normal protocol for all Order members). However now there was fire in his eyes; real fire – the intent was clear.

"Go on," she whispered, her voice stronger than it had been since she'd entered the house that day, "Do it – you want to; I can see that."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly and she could see his hand tightening its grip on the wand; see the thoughts going through his mind one after another. Oh no; he was most certainly not as drunk as he would like to be. Nowhere close in fact.

"Do. It." she spat, her quiet voice sounding loud in the silence.

The tear which tracked down her cheek was unexpected; she didn't realise it was there until she felt it fall onto her cheek. She saw Sirius' eyes widen, ever so slightly, as they fixated on the tiny drop of moisture and she felt as much as saw the grey orbs follow the progress of the tear down her cheek, past her nose and onto her chin where it fell onto the ground soundlessly. His eyes came back up to her face only to see another tear had already replaced the first; with a twin on the other side now, and she saw his resolve waver, his sense reign in the impulses of grief and Firewhiskey and, finally, the horror as he looked at his own arm, his own hand, his own wand – as he realised where it was pointing and what he was doing…

The wand clattered noisily as it fell on the floor.

Ana let out a slow breath and met Sirius' eyes; seeing the cloudy rage gone to be replaced by something far worse. His grey eyes, often clear and bubbling with laughter, sometimes harder than granite, were now so sad her heart could hardly bear it. She could see tears weakening the colour; making them pale silver as opposed to the strong stone she knew and loved. Without thought, without needing to think, she stepped away from the wall and threw her arms around his neck – pulling his shaking body to hers as she embraced him.

At first nothing happened; he simply stood there – unmoving. Then, as if a dam were breaking and water was falling forth uncontrollably, he sagged into her. She couldn't hold his weight and allowed herself to sink to the floor with him, cradling his head on her shoulder and shushing him as a mother would a baby as he began to desperately, painfully cry.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, sounding so like a child she almost felt the need to check a full grown Sirius and not some boyhood version lay in her arms. "I'm so sorry…."

"Hush," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his curly head and smoothing hair away from his forehead as he sobbed, "It's alright; there's nothing to be sorry for – it's alright."

She didn't know how long they sat there – two former prisoners of Azkaban wilting under the weight of horrors no one else could ever understand, two friends who had almost lost a brother in everything but blood, two people in a world which they felt lost in…Ana couldn't begin to count the similarities between them. She only knew him – just him – and that, she felt, was enough.

It took her a long while to realise that Sirius had stopped crying. It took her a long time to realise that somehow he was now holding her, though both had passed beyond crying and now seemed to embrace just silence and the comfort of having another human being close by.

If anyone had walked in they would have seen Sirius Black on the kitchen floor with Ana Harte half on and half off his lap, her hands clutched his blazer as she pressed her head against his chest, he with one arm around her and the other resting on her legs. If someone were to walk in they'd think they' interrupted some kind of tryst. However all Ana could think of was Remus and how close he'd come to dying. All she could think of was Sirius and how no one had realised how broken he was. All she could think of was herself and how much she had wanted Sirius' threat to not be an empty one.

Finally Sirius shifted. Wordlessly she moved off of him, allowing him to rise and then, taking his proffered hand, she levered herself up from the floor. When she was on her feet their eyes met for a moment and she knew that he would never, not ever, raise his wand to her again.

"Can you forgive me?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Yes," she whispered, "Just this once."

He nodded solemnly. It was an unspoken promise which needed no words.

"I should Owl Hogwarts – inform Albus of Remus' condition; he should send Poppy Pomfrey and some medicines which will help…"

"Not Floo?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Quidditch match today; they'll all be at the pitch…"

She trailed off and smiled weakly to Sirius.

"He's alright now;" she tried to reassure him as much as herself, "Weak but he'll survive."

"I'm still sorry," Sirius murmured, his eyes averted from hers, "Sorry I left you to do it alone. It's just…the way he was crying out, moaning and writhing…"

"I know," she answered, "And I shouldn't have yelled at you for not wanting to see your oldest friend in pain. I was just…" she shook her head.

"I understand." He replied. She believed him.

"Hogwarts," she said, "I'll Owl."

He nodded and offered,

"I'll go sit with Remus, make sure he stays alright."

She nodded her own answer, moving towards the kitchen table on which was parchment, an ink bottle and a couple of quills – the kitchen was the only place in the house from which Owls were permitted to leave. She pulled a piece of parchment towards her, dipped a quill into the ink and was above to touch nib to paper when she heard Sirius call from the doorway,

"Ana?"

She looked over to see him half in and half out of the door, looking back at her with a sincere expression on his face.

"When I needed someone, really needed someone, the only person I could think of other than Moony was you. I knew you'd be able to fix it, to fix him, and I didn't even consider calling anyone else. I know…" he paused looking away for a moment before evidently steeling himself and bringing his gaze back to meet her own, "I know that doesn't excuse what I did. I threatened you and that was a horrible thing after what you've been through today, I'll not forgive myself as quickly as you forgave me, but…well I suppose what I'm saying is I hope that means something."

His expression softened and she had to stop herself from going over to him. He shrugged a shoulder and murmured insistently, "I thought of you – just you."

She smiled and nodded slowly, her heart feeling lighter than it had done since she had come to the damned house.

"It does," she answered simply.


	21. Where I Belong

**Where I Belong**

"How is he?"

Tonks practically fell into the room, already half full of Order members, and the look of worry, the dark circles beneath wide eyes contrasting sharply with her pale face; spoke volumes of how worried the young witch had been about their resident werewolf.

"Tired," Ana answered; she was, after all, Remus' chief Healer and therefore best qualified to respond, "Broken – but healing – mostly tired. I've got him on a rotation of Sleeping Draughts and Awakening Potions to control his sleep patterns, regular doses of the Draught of Peace and a whole lot of Blood Replenishing Potion, Bruise Healing Paste, Burn Healing Paste…"

"Burns?" Tonks asked tremulously. Ana tilted her head slightly and gave the other woman a weak, sad smile.

"Only a couple; nothing too serious. He's sitting up now though which is good. Don't worry; my assistant is very capable at applying all the different pastes and poultices with utmost diligence."

"Assistant?" asked Kingsley, looking up from a map which was laid before him on the table and joining in the conversation, "Who has that mighty honour?"

Ana gestured with a thumb to the dark haired man sitting next to her,

"Healer Black of course," she grinned. Kingsley let out a snort and Sirius immediately affected a look of total outrage.

"Laughable is it? I'll have you know I'm an excellent brewer of muck and applier of goop."

Ana and Kingsley both laughed, although Tonks still had a stricken look on her face.

"Can I see him?" she asked quietly, moving closer to Ana and giving her a pleading look, "Just for a while? Just to make sure…?"

"Tonks no one but me and Sirius, with the exception of twenty minutes with Poppy Pomfrey, have seen Remus for the last two days. We're trying to keep him rested, keep him peaceful – I'll let you know as soon as he's strong enough for visitors."

Obviously sighting the fall in the Auror's face Sirius chipped in,

"You should have seen her telling Dumbledore he wasn't going in. She was bloody terrifying, this one, stood there and told him straight – what was it you said? No, Sir, with due respect I think you've done enough. I nearly wet myself."

He prodded Ana in the ribs lightly with an elbow and she smiled, pouting at his remarks and causing him only to grin more widely than before. Over the past days, whilst caring for Remus, they had spent a lot of time together. With Ana relieved of Hogwarts duties until Remus was recovered – something she had told Dumbledore would be happening rather than asking for – she and Sirius had been building upon the tentative steps they had taken towards true friendship. With brewing, healing Remus and sitting together with cups of tea, tentative chatter and gentle jesting becoming routine it was, she thought hopefully, so far so good.

"You shouted down Dumbledore?" Kingsley asked with a smirk.

"That was the worst part – she didn't shout," Sirius interjected, leaning forward and waving to Arthur, Molly and Bill Weasley as they entered the room, "She said it all really quietly – like Snape when he's got a broom shoved up his arse; you know, all silky and smooth but dangerous as Moony on a full moon. Even Dumbledore seemed a bit taken aback."

Ana reached over and gave Sirius a light shove to the shoulder.

"Liar," she retorted, "Dumbledore didn't flinch. He understood why I was angry and accepted that I would be focusing my time at present on returning Remus to health."

"Yeah," Sirius interrupted, "AFTER Poppy Pomfrey came out and said you'd done a bang up job of fixing Remus up. She said she hadn't seen better spell work in St Mungo's!"

Ana laughed and overtly battered her eyelashes at Sirius.

"Are you trying to flatter me, Sir?" she asked in a mock sotto voice.

"Might be," he answered with a grin, "What would happen if I were?"

She looked upwards for a moment, as though thinking, before looking at him straight faced and replying shortly,

"You'd have to do much better than that."

Kingsley laughed uproariously, Sirius' own barking laughter accompanying him, and even Tonks let out a small smile. Molly and Arthur both looked on bemusedly whilst Bill chuckled appreciatively and when the laughter died down Arthur asked,

"So what's this meeting about? Anyone know?"

"Not a clue," Sirius answered, "Moony, in part, I'm guessing. And just…Order stuff. Christmas soon isn't it so maybe that's got something to do with it…"

"Where's Snape?" asked Kingsley, looking to Ana who shrugged.

"I haven't been at Hogwarts since Sirius Owled me to come here…"

"Funny that," Bill interjected, "How he Owled you – a whole school full of Professors, plus Madam Pomfrey, and he chose the grounds keeping assistant."

Ana laughed and answered,

"Well as I was the only one not watching Harry zooming around on the Quidditch pitch and winning the match at the time I'd say it's lucky he did chose me! Oh and congratulate Ron for me, will you? I hear he's quite a hero in the Gryffindor common room…"

Molly jumped in, going off on a tangent about Ron's hidden Quidditch stardom, and Ana threw Sirius a look which he returned with a small smile…although she had thrown Bill from questioning Sirius' actions more for herself than for him. They were only just overcoming their awkwardness; she didn't want them set back to square one because Bill Weasley couldn't keep his observations to himself.

"Ana?" she heard Molly say her name and raised her head from the mark on the table she had been studying whilst deep in thought. "Tea, dear?"

"Yes, thank you Molly – white…"

"…no sugar; yes I remember."

Ana smiled gratefully. It was nice for someone to know something unexpected about her for a change. Sirius was in deep conversation with Bill and Arthur whilst Kingsley studied his maps intently. Molly was bustling behind them at the stove and so Ana turned to Tonks and smiled at the young Metamorphagus.

"How are you Tonks? Auror patrols keeping you busy?"

"Yeah," Tonks answered, shifting a lank piece of mousey brown hair from before one eye and running a hand over eyes which were murky brown and framed by dark circles. "Really busy."

"Had many patrols at Hogsmeade?" Ana continued, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, a few." The girl responded without enthusiasm.

"And how are you finding that?" Ana was grasping at straws now.

"Fine, fine," Tonks replied; still looking glum.

Ana suppressed the urge to bite her lip in worry as she looked to the other woman. She seemed really down; she had been really worried about Remus, could that have…? The pieces slotted into place quickly in Ana's sharp mind. Her Metamorphic abilities dulling, her current mood, her acute alarm at the thought of not being able to help Remus…this is it! Ana thought with a glee which she could only hide through her father's intense training in the art of hiding one's emotions; this is where she falls in love with him!

"Maybe I can let you see Remus after the meeting," Ana said suddenly, causing the girl's head to shoot up and her eyes to flare a violet colour, "Just for five minutes or so, and no tiring him out, but I don't suppose it can hurt…"

She was suddenly attacked by a tangle of arms as Tonks leaped from her seat and pulled Ana into a bear hug. The arms clutching around her neck hung on tightly and it took all Ana's self-control not to whip out her wand and bolt, simultaneously, at the rapid act.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Tonks was all but sobbing in her ear, "I promise I'll be really quiet and go when you tell me and not…"

The Metamorphagus stopped talking as she realised the whole room was laughing, or at the very least giving the two women a fond look - in the case of Molly Weasley, and Tonks promptly let Ana go.

"Err…sorry." Tonks said, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks as she saw the laughter was definitely being directed at her.

"Blimey, Tonks, you should've seen Ana's face! She couldn't have been more surprised if You Know Who himself leaped on her and asked for some off duty cuddle time!" Bill exclaimed.

"It's alright," Ana reassured Tonks with a smile, "I just…well I wasn't expecting you to be quite so grateful…"

"Ah I see we are all here," came a new voice from the door. Everyone looked over to see Albus Dumbledore, flanked by McGonagall, standing in the doorway with a fondness plain to see on his face as he surveyed the scene. "Shall we begin then?" he asked. Immediately the room fell to order.

Ana had to wonder whether the Order wasn't just a big kids Hogwarts sometimes.

* * *

><p>"She seemed really happy to see him." Sirius commented as he helpfully collected up the various tea and coffee mugs strewn across the table. It had been a long meeting; often boring and for the most part a mere exchange of information which Ana herself was already aware of.<p>

"Yeah she did," Ana answered from the sink where she was washing the cups by hand. They had, from her view, been scourgified one too many times – leaving them with a slightly odd, old, musty smell which didn't exactly add to the tea drinking experience.

"A bit…over happy if you know what I mean."

He placed the cups down beside her and hefted himself onto the kitchen unit, swinging his legs as he watched her wash the cups. She gave him a look before smiling and shaking her head as his feet beat out a steady rhythm on the cupboard.

"What?" he asked with a mystified smile.

"Nothing…it's just you act like more of a teenager than any of the actual teenagers I know."

He laughed.

"Yeah well I have to match my attitude to my youthful good looks…"

Now it was her turn to laugh. She continued soaping and rinsing the mugs systematically as he sat quietly, apart from the steady thumping of his feet, on the countertop. She didn't tell him to stop, even though it was quickly becoming annoying. He was there, with her, and that was all she really cared about. It was almost like it used to be…

"Do you think Tonks likes him or something?" Sirius asked suddenly. Ana purposefully ignored his question.

"Hey…oy! Wait a second! You know something! Tell me!" he exclaimed, shuffling as close to the sink as he dared and watching her expectantly.

"I know nothing," she answered, placing another cup down to dry and beginning work on the next, and final, one.

"For a bloody good spy you're a crap liar," Sirius retorted with a snort, "Come on; something is going on with Tonks and Moony in the future isn't it? TELL ME!" his finally words were spoken half as a demand and half in a whining tone. She smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." she answered, placing down the final cup and turning to look at him.

"Oh come on; you have to give me something. You know all about who we're going to be with…oh wow – do I have some bit on the side in the future? Go on; fair play not spilling Moony's future but you can surely tell me something about mine?"

She hesitated. Where was the harm, really, in telling him about the life he had lead in an alternate time? It wasn't as if that was going to happen now…

"Well there was someone…" she began cautiously. Immediately he brightened; he had always loved getting his way, "…it was a sort of…unspoken thing you could say…" she paused to see he was captivated and so continued, "No one really talked about it but everyone know it was official; you and this person I mean."

"Who was it? Do I know them? It wasn't…?" he stopped, looked away and then fixed his eyes on her again before asking once more, "Who?"

There was a pregnant pause; in which she could almost feel his anticipation bubbling over into an actual physical thing.

"Remus." she answered firmly, "It was quite sweet actually…"

"What?" Sirius exclaimed, almost falling off the counter top in shock.

"…all the little looks, the holding hands under the table during meetings when you thought no one was looking…"

"WHAT?"

"…snogging_ everywhere_…"

She looked over to see him staring at her; literally open mouthed, and nodded with eyes skywards before murmuring,

"Would you look at that? Someone's gone and written gullible on the ceiling…"

He frowned and looked upwards, causing her to raise a hand to her mouth and press a finger to her lips to stop herself from bursting out laughing. She knew the precise moment he realised she was leading him on; he stiffened visibly and suddenly snapped his head back down to meet her eyes with a dazed expression.

"You're JOKING!" he shouted, leaping off the counter and pointing an accusing finger straight at her, "You're evil!"

"Inherently," she answered with a smile, "Sirius I'm not going to tell you the ins and outs of that world. It's over; gone, this is where I belong now– but for your information no, there wasn't anyone. You were our resident bachelor. Now bugger off; I'm going to tend your lover whilst he lays prostrate in his sick bed and I don't want any puppy dog eyes distracting him from getting better…"

She gave him a crooked smile before turning to walk away, hearing him mutter something about 'bloody women' behind her back as she made her way out of the kitchen and over to the room in which Remus had been housed for the last two days. Her gentle knock at the door was met by a feeble call to come in.

"Hey," she murmured, shutting the door behind her and moving towards the bed where Remus was propped up on pillows, a lamp lit at his side and a book in his hands, "How's Pride and Prejudice going?"

"Slowly," he answered, giving her a smile.

"Sorry; it was all I could get my hands on at short notice. Sirius' only contribution was two decade old muggle porn and old school textbooks - and the family library is dark spell books, dark potions books and a mountain of back dated Witch Weekly's…"

"In which case I feel entirely blessed," he smiled, laying the book page down on his lap to keep his place and asking curiously, "What did you do to earn Sirius' wrath? I heard him calling you evil…?"

"Oh, you heard that? He started asking me to spill the beans about future relationships. I told him you and he became lovers…soon lost his inquisitive nature after that."

She was glad that Remus chuckled softly at that.

"He was always so trusting…" Remus said wonderingly.

"Still is if that's anything to go by. I told him someone had written gullible on the ceiling and he tried to find it."

Remus let out a bark of laughter only to wince almost immediately and hold his ribs.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, reaching over and placing his book further down the bed so she could pull back the blankets and begin to open up his nightshirt (which was actually one of Sirius' old ones as Remus hadn't any nightclothes at Grimmauld Place) to check the damage.

"Not your fault; I blame Sirius." He answered; allowing her to go about her work. He had grown used to her examining all parts of his body whilst she was healing him and now didn't even make a sound of protest as she undid the last button and parted the material to view his chest. After a couple of minutes of quiet inspection she nodded to herself.

"This is looking better. You should be out of bed before Christmas at this rate; earlier if possible. You'll certainly be fit for the next moon."

He gave her a strained smile.

"I know, not something you want to think about," she inputted, "But we have to think about it all the same. Remus…I think you should transform here next cycle."

"No." his answer was firm and it was the first time since she had been in ninety six that she had heard Remus' 'no nonsense' voice.

"It's not the first time you've transformed here…not for me. With Sirius in Animagus form and you on Wolfsbane I could ward seven hells out of the cellar – it would be safe…"

"It wouldn't," Remus answered stoically, "It's never safe, Ana, that's what no one seems to understand. When I'm transformed I'm never truly safe – Wolfsbane or not."

"Remus, listen…"

"No. You listen. Once a month I become a monster; a beast. I won't risk you or Sirius or anyone else in this house just because I got myself half killed by a wolf pack."

She sat wordlessly and allowed him to speak. When he was finished she was quiet for a long moment before reaching over and taking one of his hands in her own.

"Shall I tell you something? Something I never told the other you." she continued without waiting for a reply, "Once, just once, I didn't make your Wolfsbane on time. Everyone thought Snape was making it, even you, but I told him I would that month as he had some mission to complete in the Dark Lord's inner circle and didn't have time for the brewing process. Well I got pretty beat up; some scuffle with some Death Eaters in Norwich, mid-month. I didn't complete the middle part of the potion and it went wrong. No one else was here; they knew you were safe when you had your Wolfsbane, and I was the only one in the house. We didn't realise, not even I realised, until you drank the potion and began to change that something was wrong. Then you changed; properly changed, and I was trapped in Grimmauld Place with you. I ran into the kitchen, warded the fuck out of it and sat curled up underneath the table all night whilst you tried to break the kitchen door down."

She watched Remus' face as she spoke, the horror there, the sorrow, and leaned over to press a small kiss to his right temple.

"I was seventeen; only a baby really, and when you changed back the next morning you didn't remember. You thought it all went alright; thought you'd just passed out from the pain as you did sometimes. I never corrected you and I found that, despite being terrified that entire night, I was never scared of you. Because it wasn't you – it was the wolf – and I knew, I always knew, that you weren't a monster. You're not a monster, Remus. And I'm not afraid of you. You change here next cycle; no discussion."

He raised his hand and covered her own; which had now come to rest on his cheek.

"How can you even look at me?" he asked quietly, "After what that wolf did to you, marking you, after what I almost did to you…" he trailed off and she could see a mistiness in his eyes.

"Because I love you, stupid." she answered with a smile, "You're my friend, one of my closest friends, and you mean so much to me. I know that's strange for you to understand, knowing me for such a short amount of time, but that's the truth of it. It's funny; really, that none of you seem to understand just why I came here. I didn't travel twenty six years in time, didn't give up an entire life, because of hate; because of some crazy vendetta against Voldemort. Don't get me wrong, I do hate him, but… don't you see? I did it because of love. Because of you and Sirius and Tonks and Harry and the Weasley's and so many other people…some of them you'll never meet, others you will do, one day…I did all of this because I want the people I love to be safe. Is that so strange?"

"No," he whispered, a tear running from one blue eye and rolling slowly down his cheek, "No I don't think that's strange at all."

She smiled and wiped the tear away gently with a thumb before extracting her hand and asking him,

"Now; do you want some tea? I can make some of that herbal stuff you like?"

He nodded slowly and she rose, turning back to him once more before leaving and saying a little overly brightly,

"I'll read to you later if you like. I always thought I'd make a good Lizzie Bennett. Maybe I can even persuade Sirius to read Darcy; he has the temperament."

Remus laughed, his eyes still watery, and answered,

"I'd like that."

She left the room quietly. However when she opened the door it was to find Sirius, back pressed against the wall and head turned towards her, awaiting her. She could tell by the look on his face that he'd been listening in. She didn't speak to him until the door was shut and she had made her way into the kitchen. He followed without a word. It was only when the kettle was filled with water and set to boiling and she was adding to one of the freshly washed cups some herbal tea that he said,

"You really got trapped in the house with Moony in wolf form?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"Wow. Bet that was bad."

"Yeah; it was."

There was a pause before he said,

"I think you're right, about Remus transforming here, it'd be better. For him I mean."

"Yeah I think so." she answered.

Another stretch of silence.

"What you said…" he came over and leaned on the counter top, trying to catch her eye, "Hey would you look at me? I want to be all sincere for a second."

She turned and looked at him straight on, black eyes meeting grey.

"What you said…" he began again, "About love being the thing that made you fight, that made you give everything up…" he paused, as though trying to find the words, before finishing, "That was really… what I mean is that's just what he needed to hear; Remus. He needed someone to remind him that there's a reason to all this – a good reason."

She smiled and nodded slowly before responding conversationally,

"It's funny; just now you sounded just like Harry. Or maybe Harry's starting to sound just like you…maybe a bit of both."

He turned her attention to the kettle as it began to whistle and poured the boiling water into the cup. When she turned back with the tea he was still looking at her; however she couldn't quite describe the look in his eyes as she wasn't quite sure what it was. All she did know was that she had never seen him look like that before; not in thirteen years; not at her anyway.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head in question.

"Nothing, it's just…" he sighed and grinned sheepishly, "Merlin's beard if I'm going to do all this touchy feely stuff I had better do it properly. You seem different; that's all. Since Remus got hurt, since…since I got pissed and threatened to…" he trailed off, obviously still ashamed of his actions, "Since then you seem totally different. Not so hard; like – I don't know how to explain it."

She let out a slow breath.

"Well," she answered, "I suppose it was because up until that night I hadn't realised how hard I had been trying to fit in with this new world. How hard I had been trying to make it like my old one and it was only then, when you were pointing a wand at me and half out of your mind, that I realised this will never be the same as my old world. This is something new; and I think I accepted that and I'm better for it."

He nodded slowly and replied blithely,

"Well that and spending more time with me; obviously. Everyone is better off with constant exposure to my charm, my wit…"

She laughed and answered, almost unthinkingly,

"Bloody hell I've missed you."

He grinned and gestured for her to precede him out of the kitchen.

"I hear you think I'd make a good Darcy?"

"Do you even know who Darcy is?" she asked, picking up the tea and starting for Remus' temporary room.

"No…why? Is he the devilishly handsome but morally ambiguous anti-hero?"

Ana smiled and didn't respond. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of confirming just how accurate his guess had been.

* * *

><p><strong>Thought you deserved some more SiriusAna interaction. Was happy to oblige. 3**


	22. Ashwinder

**This is just a baby chapter written to enable me to tell you some terrible news. My laptop needs to go in for repair which means...*gulp*...NO UPDATES FOR A WEEK! I know. I'm a bad person. I'M SORRY! I hope this fluff will go some way to making up for it. Also next chapter (which will be posted 01/09) contains...CHRISTMAS (*cough*mistletoe*cough*)! Enjoy and until next time; goodbye my loves!**

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><p><strong>Ashwinder<strong>

_It was dark in her cell. She was humming Loch Lomond under her breath, it was the only song she could remember that day, her thin voice trembling as it reached the high notes, missing out words as she breathed slowly in and out. She was rocking back and forth, as she often did, her head banging against the wall each time she rocked backwards. It was to keep her from falling asleep. When she slept the guardsmen sometimes came and…she shuddered, her hand inching up to where a new, red raw tattoo lay on her skin in startling black ink. It was the Latin for Erebos; God of Darkness. She was always in darkness now, always in shadow, and soon the torturer would come again and she would endure…_

"Ana…Ana? ANA!"

She bolted upright in the armchair, staring blearily at Sirius whose form was framed in the doorway; a smirk on his face as he shook his head.

"Sorry," she murmured, brushing a long strand of straggling black hair from her face, "I must have fallen asleep…"

"Yeah; after being up until five brewing some mental potion for Moony and then getting up again at eight to add something to another one…"

"Something like that." she answered with a smile.

"You need to take it easy," he said, coming over and parking himself on the floor at the foot of her chair, "Moony's out of the woods; almost better really – you don't need to be so worried."

She smiled ruefully and ruffled his hair; causing him to make a noise of protest and carefully re-tousle it with one hand whilst the other shoved her legs to the side so he could rest his back on the chair's base.

"I can't help but worry," Ana sighed, "Worry is what I'm used to."

"Well stop being used to it. Remus is fine. I'm fine. Everyone's fine…it's nearly Christmas woman – the time for good will and cheer!"

She laughed.

"You make it sound so easy. You forget this is a habit of a lifetime I'm trying to break."

He was quiet for a moment, so quiet she almost wondered whether he had fallen prey to some instantaneous form of sleep as well, before he murmured,

"Back in your…sorry I mean the other time…a lot of people died?"

She hesitated. She had laid down the law; more than once and to several people, about what she was and wasn't willing to say about her former life. However now, in the sleepy warmth of Grimmauld Place with Sirius at her feet, it was hard not to open up and just tell him everything.

"Yeah," she answered; choosing the cautious approach.

"People you cared about?"

"People I loved," she corrected quietly.

"Me?" he asked; his deep voice sounding even deeper as he spoke the word.

"I don't know," she replied before she could censor herself. "You weren't dead when I left you in the Department of Mysteries but…I don't know," she paused, feeling tears suddenly pounce on her from nowhere even as she tried to stifle them down, before continuing, "That weighs on me sometimes. When I have nightmares, well – I always have nightmares; but when I sleep…I sometimes think about whether you and all the others died trying to protect me."

Another pause as he seemed to digest her words. She lifted a hand and pressed it over her eyes to stop herself from tearing up. It worked; when she lowered the hand her eyes were dry and her gaze steady; she couldn't see it but she knew it to be true. Her father had taught her well.

"The other me…" Sirius finally said, "Would he have died for you? Willingly I mean?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, "And I for him."

"Would you now?" he turned on the floor and looked up at her; all grey eyes and dusky black hair, pale skin illuminated by the flickering firelight. "Would you die for me like you would have for him?"

He was, she thought, very beautiful really. She was becoming more and more used to the young version of him she was being faced with every day and yet she never seemed to really see him…except for that moment in the Department of Mysteries when she had saved him – then she had seen more than she could put into words; felt more than she could describe in a thousand lifetimes. That was the thought which pervaded her mind, which sat there lingeringly as she met his soft, grey eyes, and answered with all the feeling, understood or not, she had, or ever had, for him,

"I would."

There it was again; the indefinable look which he seemed to be giving her more and more. When she had saved him in the Department of Mysteries, when he had admitted she was the first person he had thought of when Remus needed help, when he had watched her tend Remus back to health…it was gentle and yet still she felt pierced by it.

Just when she felt like if someone didn't do or say something she'd have to wipe both of their memories, to erase the moment and the inevitable change in their relationship it would bring, a sputtering from the fireplace caused them both to break eye contact and look over just in time to see…

"SHIT!" Sirius leapt to his feet and pulled out his wand, thrusting it at the fireplace as a flaming serpent began to coil from the fire which, although moments ago was just embers, had burst into raging tendrils of red and gold. However his spell, directed at the serpent, seemed to do nothing to stop the creature. Sirius waved his wand again, taking a step back as the serpent writhed towards him…only for the creature to seemingly turn to ash and dissolve mid movement before it could take the final lunge.

Sirius turned to see Ana, still seated in her chair, lazily pointing her wand at the now very sooty, but thankfully serpent free, fireplace.

"What did you use, you lunatic?" she asked with a teasing smile, "Did you by any chance forget how to perform a Flame Freezing Charm; something I might remind you I've seen your Godson…"

"Alright, alright!" he exclaimed, shoving her over so that she was forced to perch on the arm of the chair whilst he slumped into the seat proper, "I panicked, okay? One minute we were…we were talking and then there was a bloody great Ashwinder in the room!"

He flicked a lock of curly hair artfully back from his face and she giggled as she action swiped a line of soot across his cheek and nose; the Ashwinder debris must have dusted his wand arm as he had been failing to cast the right spell, she thought.

"What?" he asked, "I only forgot for a second; if one came through now I'd…"

"No!" she exclaimed, "It's not that; it's just…," she gestured to his face before pushing down another fit of giggles at the ridiculousness of his appearance, "You have soot; on your face."

He scowled and pulled the sleeve of his wine coloured blazer over the base of his hand; scrubbing at the area she had gestured at and only succeeding in making the whole thing much worse. Ana let out a shout of laughter to see how the ingrained soot now made it look like Sirius had engaged in hand to hand battle with the Ashwinder – and lost.

"Here let me," she pulled the blanket which had been draped around her shoulders as she slept from the back of the chair and gently wiped strategically at the mark on his face. She knew his eyes were on her face and pointedly focused on the task at hand; she would not, could not, get drawn into what she knew she was being drawn into. There was a mission to complete; Voldemort had to die, Harry had to survive to do it, she had to protect him, protect the Order…

Her eyes flickered upwards, just for a second, and locked with his. She had thought up until then that having the air knocked from one's lungs was merely a Witch Weekly reader's wet dream or a naff Celestina Warbeck lyric but…no; it was real – she felt it. She heard her breath hitch as his hand came to hold her wrist; the warmth of his fingers and palm pressed against her skin sending a tingling sensation up her arm as she forced her eyes not to flutter closed at the contact. She had touched Sirius a thousand times before, and he her, so why was she behaving like Harry always seemed to around Ginny nowadays? She was NOT a love sick teen, she would not…

"Sirius?" came a call from the next room. They both look away from one another and towards the wall; as though they could see the one calling through the wainscoting.

"Ana? Sirius? Are you two all right?"

"Yes!" Ana called back; cursing mentally for forgetting that Remus, still bed bound at her instruction, was a mere wall span away and could hear everything they said. Lucky, she thought, that most of their communication had been silent thus far, "Just an Ashwinder!"

"Who left the fire burning?" he replied.

"ANA!" Sirius called as she simultaneously replied,

"Sirius!"

They both looked down to the other with indignation before, realising what they'd done, bursting out laughing. Sirius released her wrist and she shifted from the arm of the chair, stretching as she did so and shouting through the wall,

"Fancy some company Remus?"

"Love some!" he replied sounding all too fervent. She sighed in relief. Somehow the thought of staying another moment alone with Sirius Black made her feel things she didn't even want to think about.


	23. Of Sickness and Secrets

**I AM RETURNED. **

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><p><strong>Of Sickness and Secrets (December 1996)<strong>

With the steady approach of Christmas, and Remus' ever improving health, had come the call Ana had been awaiting and; to some extent, dreading. An owl with a Hogwarts crested letter bearing the request that she return to prepare the castle for the festive season left her in a mixture of sadness and excitement; she was of course pleased to see Hogwarts in its festive glory and return to the staff and pupils she had befriended there…but she could not feel anything but a sad pang at the look on Sirius' face when she told him she would be leaving.

"I thought Dumbledore would let you stay here until after Christmas…" he had murmured.

She had told him on the same evening she had received the letter; the last evening she would spend in Grimmauld Place until the holiday period arrived. Remus was sitting in an armchair opposite them whilst Sirius sat at one end of the sofa and her at the other. They all had cups of steaming hot tea and the roaring fire (not magical this time – Sirius had made sure of that) offered comfort to the increasingly bitter conditions the house was dealing them. The Black family had never invested in central heating.

"Well I am employed there, Sirius," she reasoned to herself as much as him, "I suppose if Albus needs me back he needs me back…"

"I'm all but well anyway," Remus added, "It's not as if we'll not see her again – come the end of the month she'll be here for Christmas…won't you?"

Ana smiled.

"Dumbledore has absolutely insisted – apparently Headquarters runs smoother when I'm around to kick Sirius up the…"

"OY!" he exclaimed, giving her a sour look, "I do alright on my own…"

She merely raised a brow in reply whilst Remus chuckled.

"Anyway I might be more use in the castle… I still have my suspicions about Malfoy…"

"Ana; come on," Remus remonstrated, "Voldemort would never initiate a child as a Death Eater – not for moral grounds but because he sees the Death Eaters as his elite followers. Draco Malfoy, a boy barely sixteen, would not qualify…"

"That's exactly my point," she argued, "Voldemort knows we'd think that, expect that of him, and Harry says…"

"Harry is just a boy himself," Sirius reasoned, "I love him, he's like a son to me, but he is a kid, Ana. That, along with a longstanding rivalry with the Malfoy boy and…well – I would have accused Snape of being a Death Eater from day one if I could have gotten away with it; not because he actually became one but because I hated his slimy, greasy…"

"Enough," Ana cut him off, "I get your point – loud and clear. But I still think Draco Malfoy deserves some consideration. Maybe if someone other than Severus Snape took an interest in him he might come around a little…"

"Come around?" Sirius jumped in, "To what? Being a bit less of a dick head?"

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed.

"You say that but think about it – with parents like Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and blood relatives like Bellatrix Lestrange he's not exactly stood a fighting chance has he? In the grand scheme of things maybe he's a bit of a dick head, as you so wonderfully put it, because no one has really ever shown him that he can be anything else."

There was a pause, in which Ana took an opportunity to sip her tea and peer over the edge of her tea cup at her companions, whilst both men stared at her silently.

"What about me then?" Sirius asked finally, "I'm related to the Malfoys, the Lestranges – hell; I'm a BLACK! The worst of the worst and I'm not…"

"…a bit of a dick head?" Ana interceded.

"You know what I mean," he finished giving her a wry half smile.

"You had James Potter and Remus and, yes, even Peter Pettigrew before he went rogue. You had loyal and loving friends to keep you on the straight and narrow. Plus you were a good egg from the start – rebellion was the reason why though so don't look so smug – you're no angel. Draco has friends who are as bad as he is and his family encourage his blood hatred, his obsession with purity and house colours…"

She sighed and shrugged slightly.

"I just think he could use a friend who isn't bent on world domination is all."

* * *

><p>"So I'll see you at Christmas?" Sirius asked for what felt like the thousandth time. She was standing in the hallway of Grimmauld Place and couldn't help but be reminded of the last time she had waited to leave him – just before she jumped back in time. He had kept asking her if she were alright then. Somehow this time it wasn't so infuriating.<p>

"Yes; I told you it's cleared with Dumbledore. I think he wants me around Harry; an extra wand to keep a look out and all that…"

Her voice trailed off as she shifted awkwardly. She had always been bad at goodbyes.

"Well then…" Sirius began.

"Yeah," she answered, "I'd better be off…"

"Yeah."

They both met one another's gaze at the same time. She opened her mouth and then closed it again; unsure of what to say. Then, suddenly and entirely inexplicably, she burst out laughing. Sirius frowned as she pushed her straggling hair back from her face; bending over to pull in a breath as the chuckles turned into full throated cackling, before smiling himself as he watched her laugh. Finally she controlled her laughed and closed the gap between them - pulling him into a hug.

"I'll be back for Christmas," she murmured as her laughter subsided, "Keep out of trouble."

"Say hello to Harry and the others for me," he answered, returning her embrace before stepping away and pushing his own hair to the side with a furtive smile. She nodded and turned to leave.

"Hey," he called after her; her hand already on the handle of the front door, "What were you laughing at?"

She smiled but didn't turn around, instead turning the handle, opening the door and stepping out into the weak, wintry morning sun without another word. As she Apparated she whispered the answer, just to herself, allowing it to get lost – half in London and half in Scotland. It was something that both made her heart swell and terrified her – because it was both hopelessly enticing and completely impossible.

"We're acting like lovesick teenagers."

* * *

><p>"Careful o' th' angels they…"<p>

She uttered a half yell, whipping her hand back as a particularly angelic looking, sprite like creature took a chunk out of her right hand.

"…bite." Hagrid finished.

"I'm fine," she said before he could have chance to ask; though she did covertly give the offending angel a smack around the head before passing it to Professor Flitwick who performed a stasis charm on the creature.

The Great Hall looked spectacular – the hundreds of floating candles were set upon bases of red Christmas roses and green beds of holly, the enchanted ceiling was depicting a snowy deluge falling down onto the wreaths spattering the walls. The Christmas trees; twelve in total and all more than seven feet tall, had been a nightmare to get inside the castle – Hagrid had tripped twice and she had spent more than one evening healing both herself and him from bites courtesy of the various creatures who had lived in the trees and took offence at being removed into the castle. However they looked spectacular in their setting; richly decorated and lit by enchanted candles.

Ana had also spent the week since she had left Grimmauld Place for Hogwarts avoiding the enchanted clumps of mistletoe spread throughout the castle; a Weasley's Wizard Wheezes invention which forced the two individuals caught out beneath the plant to exchange a kiss before being freed from a nifty sticking charm. Filch had been having aneurysms galore trying to get rid of the stuff before someone important got struck by the latest Weasley prank. Ana had, of course, been helping - she knew that if she didn't help the irate caretaker then no one would.

"Don' s'pose y' could go up ter th' sixth floor an' put up th' wreaths?" asked Hagrid; his voice muffled by the fact that he was shifting a tree which was as tall as him and his face seemed lost in the mass of needles.

"Of course," she answered, secretly glad to have the change of getting away from the biting 'angels' and the bustling Great Hall. She was on perfect course for a cracking headache. Without waiting for Hagrid to change his mind she grabbed a box of mixed wreaths and hurried out of the hall – taking the staircase two at a time until she was safely on the second floor. Whilst a staircase changed its position and Ana waited, albeit without much patience, for it to make up its mind as to where it wanted to lead she allowed her thoughts to trace over the last week at Hogwarts.

She had slipped back into school life easily enough; as she had suspected Hagrid had coped beautifully without her (another point to her growing theory that Dumbledore only kept her around for the Duelling Club and the link she provided Harry to Sirius) though the Duelling Club had not fared so well. She had only been gone a couple of weeks and yet numbers had dwindled to a group of dedicated Gryffindors and a large quantity of the members of Slytherin house with only Snape in charge. Her reappearance was doing wonders in redressing the House balance and yet Snape was, if anything, being colder than ever towards the students. She had confronted him, many times, and yet it seemed to do little good. He had treated the students poorly for years – decades – it was going to be a tough habit to break.

She made her way up the newly aligned staircase, hefting the box of wreaths under her arm as she went. Not using magic was becoming less and less difficult – though the temptation to simply use her wand sometimes was all but overwhelming…after a lifetime of depending on her magical prowess to get by in the world having all that suddenly taken away was more than a little difficult to adjust to.

The nearer she got to the sixth floor the noisier it seemed to get. It was only when she entered the sixth floor corridor and saw Neville Longbottom dressed in a white server's suit standing outside Professor Slughorn's rooms that she remembered; Slughorn's Christmas Party. She had been invited; all staff had received an invitation (though Ana was positive at least two thirds had pleaded excuses ranging from brilliant to pathetic in order to avoid the spectacle). From a brief conversation with Harry and a wry side note in the first, and only, letter she had received from Sirius in the past week she was sure the students were if anything less enthusiastic about the entire ordeal than the staff.

"…well you can tell that to Professor Slughorn boy!" shouted a rasping voice, its tone as crotchety as ever, breaking through her thoughts. Even before rounding the corner Ana knew Filch was heading her way – and promptly ducked from view. She felt no guilt in the act; she had been a friend to Argus Filch all week but now she was desperate for just a moment of peace and quiet that was hers alone…

"Get off me – you filthy Squib!"

Ana started when she recognised the other young, cold and highly superior tone. She dropped her box of Christmas wreaths on the floor and peered around the alcove she had found refuge in just in time to see Filch drag Malfoy through the door, past a stunned looking Neville, and into Slughorn's rooms where the party was being held with much gusto. Frowning Ana strode down the corridor, abandoning the wreaths entirely, and swept past Neville with a brief nod of greeting before entering the room just in time to find Malfoy being accused of gate-crashing the party by Filch…in front of everyone.

"…I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party…"

"Okay!" Draco exclaimed, cutting in on Filch's satisfied sounding rhetoric, "I was…."

"…HELPING!" Ana exclaimed, stepping forwards out of the shadows and throwing a half smile to Ginny Weasley as she passed, "Helping me; though really Draco you shouldn't have wondered off…"

"Helping?" cut in a smooth voice. Ana clenched her jaw as Snape seemingly descended on them from nowhere; sweeping forwards like a spectre from the gloom.

"Yes," she replied staunchly, moving a step closer to Draco whom she could see from the corner of her eye was giving her an incredulous look, "I'm tasked with decorating the upstairs areas of the castle; Christmas wreaths. Draco owed me a detention from before I…before I was ill. When I returned I took up the matter and this is his punishment."

She noted Snape's disbelieving look without a flicker of uncertainty.

"You may check in the hall if you wish, Professor. The wreaths are out there."

He gave her one of his inscrutable looks; pinning her down with his black gaze. She knew the entire room was holding its breath over the calmly conducted face-off between her and the potions master. After a long moment of silence Snape nodded, once, a sharp jerk of his head which indicated he was accepting her story; though not necessarily believing it.

"I'll escort him out," Snape offered smoothly, "Save you the trouble; Miss Harte."

"No need," she answered swiftly, "We're but halfway through the decorations and I…" she paused, wrinkling her nose; as Snape had moved a step closer when offering to take Draco from the room with him he had brought the smell of…

"Severus," she began as delicately as she could, "Were you aware that you have vomit on your shoes?"

The silence seemed only to deepen around them, broken briefly only by one or two nervous giggles which were almost instantly hushed.

"Perfectly aware; thank you." he answered.

"Right…" she replied, frowning before looking down to his shoes and then back up to his face, "Are you intending to do anything about it?"

"Presently, yes." he replied in a richly dark tone which spoke more of his annoyance than even the pitch colouring of his eyes possibly could.

"Well I could…" she began.

"Not necessary, thank you," he cut her off, "Draco; with me."

Before she had chance to protest he had grasped Malfoy by the arm and was guiding him smoothly from the room. She turned to watch them go and saw Draco turn around to look back at her in the doorway; his face still a mask of puzzlement, before being swept out of sight by Snape's quick pace.

The room seemed instantly to fill with sound again.

"Alright everyone!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed, a strained smile on his rotund face, "Carry on; carry on!"

Everyone began milling around again, chatter breaking out and a fair few curious glances being directed her way. She saw Filch was looking at her, staring would be perhaps a more accurate term, and turned to the man with a smile.

"I am sorry Mr Malfoy became a problem for you, Argus. I should have kept a better watch of the…"

"No, no, no trouble." Filch interceded, "Boy's a bad one."

She half nodded, not really listening. She had caught sight of Harry Potter weaving towards her through the crowd and was just about to call out to him when she realised it wasn't her he was aiming for. He swept past her without so much as a glance and headed through the doorway and out into the corridor – after Snape and Malfoy.

"Anyway lots to do; must get on. I shall no doubt see you tomorrow Argus." she murmured absently as she began to move away.

"Yes; tomorrow!" he exclaimed behind her as she made her way through the crowds; thicker now by the door than before thanks to her and Snape's confrontation, and out into the cool air of the corridor beyond. She just saw Harry's dress robes flitter around the corner on the right; towards the empty classrooms beyond as opposed to the staircases where she had come from, and broke into a stealthy run in order to catch him. For several twisting turns she managed to keep the hem of his cloak in sight without allowing him to see her before, peering around a corner before attempting to round it, she heard muttered voice that seemed to be coming from the next corridor and saw Harry, leaning against the stone wall separating the corridor he was in from the one containing the voices, listening intently to what was being said.

"…maybe I did curse the Bell girl – maybe I didn't. What's it to you..?"

A loud, slightly muffled, thump – like someone had been pushed against a wall, rang through the corridor and Ana rounded the corner she had taken refuge behind in order to approach Harry. He saw her coming and made a wild gesture with his arms the moment he caught sight of her; no doubt telling her to keep quiet. She nodded once before coming over to him and, pressing her own back against the wall he was leaning against, joined him in listening to what was going on.

"I swore to protect you…" hissed a voice which was recognisably Snape's. She had suspected the other belonged to Malfoy and now she was sure. But what would Snape and Malfoy have to covertly talk about? And why, after Malfoy all but admitted he cursed Katie Bell, was Snape not taking him directly to the Headmaster for a thorough interrogation?

"…I made the Unbreakable Vow." Ana clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes for a long moment at the words. The Unbreakable Vow was a heavy burden to carry. Why would Snape have made such a promise? What was so terrible that Draco would need such definite protection?

"I don't need protection!" Draco insisted, "I was chosen for this; out of all others – me! I won't fail Him."

Ana looked quickly to Harry; whose pale face was pinched in concentration as he listened to Draco's words.

"You are afraid Draco – you attempt to conceal it but it's obvious. Let me assist you…"

"NO!" Draco bit out – his tone feral. "I was chosen; this is my moment.

She heard a sigh – a weary sound which she knew to come from Snape, before footsteps began again; one set quick and light the other heavy and much slower. Ana reached over and gripped Harry's wrist with one hand whilst the other reached for the wand holster hidden beneath her skirts. Pulling out her wand she wordlessly cast a Concealment Charm over them both; hiding them from view just as Malfoy stalked around the corner and strode past them. His hurried footsteps soon faded away as he went back towards the staircase. However Snape's own walk; consisting of slow and measured paces, brought him past them steadily and she was sure, almost entirely sure, that his gaze flickered to hers, just for a moment, as he passed by. It was only when his footsteps were faded to nothing and she and Harry had been stood in absolute silence for a good minute that she lifted the Concealment Charm and looked over to the boy.

"You see?" he asked in a half whisper, "I was right – Malfoy is a Death Eater…"

"We don't know that." she interrupted. "All we know is that he has been given some form of task to complete – we don't even know who the task was…"

"How can you say that? Malfoy said he was Chosen – chosen by Him. Who else could it be but Voldemort?"

"Even if that were the case, Harry, we have no evidence that Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater."

"Snape then…Snape said he made an Unbreakable Vow to protect Malfoy – offered to aid him! Surely you can see that Snape is on His side…"

"Or Snape is trying to extract information from Malfoy on behalf of Dumbledore," Ana reasoned blithely, "He is a double agent after all."

"How can you defend Snape after what you just heard him say?" Harry asked, his tone bitter and expression bordering on incredulous.

"I have known him much longer than you, Harry. He's tricky to understand but once you've got him you never forget. He's a good man; flawed, yes, bitter, yes and most definitely angry but a true Death Eater? No. Never."

Harry stamped a foot; a childish show of his frustration.

"I can't believe you – you're the same as all the others. They all believe Snape is so amazing and no one really knows why they believe it; other than because Dumbledore says so…"

"Dumbledore is wiser than you or me or anyone I've ever known." she countered.

"People can make mistakes; even Dumbledore. He's not here now – did you know that? He's left the castle; travelling apparently." Harry announced. She sighed. Another thing Albus had failed to inform her of. It made sense now as to why he had insisted she return to the castle before Christmas though; without being present himself he'd want every ally possible within the castle walls – just in case anything should go wrong.

"Yes;" she lied effortlessly, "And you're right - they can make mistakes. Which is why I will take this very seriously – I promise I will look into it, Harry. I won't just forget what we heard today. But you can't go around telling people, all right? No don't look at me like that; if Snape is…" she faltered before finishing briskly, "If Snape is a triple agent we don't want him getting wind of our suspicions. Keep this knowledge to yourself. That's all I ask."

He nodded, though she noted he didn't seem too enthusiastic about her offer. Obviously he thought she was as blind as everyone else – blind in her belief of Dumbledore being right no matter what. If only he knew, she thought briefly, if only he knew what she did. He'd never see Severus Snape in the same light; not ever again.

"I'm serious, Harry, I'll leave no stone on covered. I don't take your safety lightly, nor the safety of our friends, and for that reason if no other I'll get to the bottom of this."

He nodded again; this time his expression much less worry filled. She smiled and murmured,

"Come on; let's get you back to the party. Hurry you might catch the last dance; I hear Miss Weasley is excellent on the dance floor."

He gave her a quick, embarrassed look – a flush evident on his cheeks, and it was all she could do not to laugh out loud at his expression. Love sick teens were all around it seemed.


	24. Identity

**This is the longest chapter I've ever written. Between you and me I've been looking forward to writing this one since day one; this is the first of three I've been super excited about. So I hope you enjoy - oh and remember that mistletoe I mentioned? Well I did make an Unbreakable Vow on that one...**

* * *

><p>"And so as the holidays are upon us I wish you all festive cheer…and plenty of socks."<p>

Mcgonagall took her seat with a stoic look as she finished reading Dumbledore's message to the students. There was a half beat of silence before everyone began to rise from their own seats and break into excited chatter. The next morning the Hogwarts Express would bear a large proportion of the students away from school and home for the Christmas holiday. Ana had been told she was required to take the Express with Harry and company in order to ensure that the boy was kept safe. She didn't mind in the least. After their encounter in the corridor Harry seemed to have warmed to her – probably because she was the only one taking his suspicions regarding Draco Malfoy seriously. She had found him to be a clever boy; if a tad impetuous and quicker to think than act at times, but she laid those traits firmly at the door of his Godfather and so therefore embraced them.

"Miss Harte might I speak with you?"

She turned to meet Snape's dark gaze with her own and nodded. He was acting more strangely than ever. When she had come into ninety six he had seemed strange to her; bowed under some weight greater than any she had seen him bear before. Yet over the past months he had become more terse, cruel and erratic in his actions – his attitude towards both staff and pupils had soured considerably in the last month and she could only presume it had something to do with Dumbledore being gone.

He stood and she followed suit; matching his long strides with her own as they swept from the Great Hall. They had no need of weaving through the milling students; one sight of Snape had them parting like the Red Sea. However instead of heading for his private quarters or the dungeons, as she had suspected, they instead made their way out of the imposing doors sealing the castle from the grounds and into the inky, cold night. Almost immediately her breath began to mist before her eyes; though she did not complain at his dragging her outside in December with no warning. For Snape to want to talk to her in private at all meant he had a very good reason – and she was not about to incense him by questioning that.

They headed out across the grounds; starlight and the glowing sliver of moon their only source of light, and just when she was beginning to think he was going to walk her right outside the castle perimeter he stopped abruptly and turned to face her. His action was so abrupt in fact that it took two paces for her to pull herself to a standstill; leaving them barely a foot away from one another.

For a long moment he said nothing and his silhouetted form was oddly still. She could see his breath misting and the reflection of starlight glinting on his eyes but other than that his expression was shadowed. Then, suddenly, he murmured,

"You have been taking an interest in Draco Malfoy."

She hesitated. Would it be best to tell him the truth or to invent a lie? She almost rolled her eyes at her own train of thought. There would be, and never had been in the past or future, no point in lying to Severus Snape. He saw through people like ordinary folk saw through panes of glass.

"Yes," she responded, "I have."

Another prolonged period of silence followed; this one heavier.

"You should stop; immediately." was his eventual, brisk reply.

"Right…" she answered her mind whirring.

"The situation, such as it is, is in hand. Dumbledore is aware. There is nothing to concern yourself with. Nothing at all."

His sharp, stilted sentences made her more inquisitive than ever.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she countered, "I'm taking an interest in Draco Malfoy because no one else does – not for the right reasons anyway. Any other suspicions you may have are completely irrelevant."

She heard his snort of disbelief.

"Potter believes Malfoy a Death Eater. He believes me to be aiding Malfoy in some form of…dark task. Albus is concerned the boy has convinced you his idiocy is truth…"

She felt her left hand begin to shake as frustration built up in her. After all this time his trust in her was still nil.

"I am an Order member and have been for much longer than you," she responded, her own voice steely now, "I have been so since birth, Severus Snape – don't forget it. I know truths when I see them; I know lies too. I know Death Eaters. That boy isn't one – not in principle at least. As for you…" she paused, allowing her tone to soften ever so slightly, "I've said it before and I shall say it again. I trust you; implicitly. There is no doubt in my mind which side you are on."

She knew he was looking at her; not that he hadn't been all along, but it was a different sort of looking - the type he did when he wanted to understand something and just couldn't seem to grasp it. Safe to say, him being Severus Snape, the look was rare – yet she remembered it all the same.

"Why?" he asked plainly.

She let out a sigh; only partially voluntary, and then a deep breath of the crisp night air.

"I think, even if it's just a little, you know. I think you suspect at the very least…don't you?" she asked carefully, taking a tentative half step forwards. "Go on," she murmured, studying what she could see of his inscrutable expression, "Sometimes I see you staring at me, at dinner or in Duelling Club, or…sometimes I think you know everything. So go on, Severus, it's alright. Tell me why I trust you." she took a shaking breath before finally adding, "Tell me who I am."

She could practically feel the air around them vibrating with tension as she waited. More than anything she wanted him to say the words, to confirm the connection which she had spent all the last long months trying to ignore, the one unbreakable bond in the entire world not allowing her to do so. He stood unmoving but she could see a tick in his jaw, just visible in the murky half-light, working furiously before he opened his mouth and…

"'S tha' you Ana?" called a rumbling voice; carrying loudly through the night.

They sprung away from one another just as Hagrid's hulking form cut through the gloom and made its way towards them.

"I thought yer…Professor Snape! Ah…sorry if I interrupted anythin'…" Hagrid held up his hands in a gesture of surrender – almost as if he expected them to curse him for the great crime of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"No!" Ana exclaimed, horrified, "No Hagrid – Professor Snape was just telling me something concerning the Club. We were just done at any rate; were we not Professor?"

"Indeed. Goodnight."

With that, and barely a moment's glance, Snape swept past her and Hagrid and vanished into the night. Ana's fleeting thought was of whether he was surprised at being likened to a bat; he certainly had the stealth of one.

"'Ah've not stepped in on…" Hagrid began nervously.

"Hagrid, really, you did nothing wrong – I should be thanking you really," she told him with a wry smile which she knew he would barely be able to see, "Severus Snape can be quite overwhelming at times."

She heard Hagrid chuckle and accompanied him back to the cabin. Secretly she had never been gladder to see the half giant. He had just prevented her from making the biggest mistake of her life.

* * *

><p>"Come on Sirius! If we are late and Molly wants blood I'm offering you as a sacrifice!"<p>

She heard his bark-like laughter echo down the stairs and laughed with him at the sound. It was good to be back at Grimmauld Place; good to see him again. Remus had left half an hour before, Tonks in tow, and Ana had promised to wait for Sirius and Side-Along Apparate him to the dinner at the Burrow which they had all been invited to. Kingsley had warned that the Ministry was becoming tighter in its Apparition conditions and, as an unrecognised with; she would have no problems Apparating under the radar. However notorious convict Sirius Black…now that was another story.

"Alright I'm ready…" he announced, appearing at the top of the stairs and ambling down with a barely suppressed smile. He had favoured a plum coloured velvet blazer with a bruised purple toned waistcoat and black shirt. His trousers were also black and his shoes, for once, looked clean. Hanging from the waistcoat was the chain of a pocket watch; the golden links glimmering in the soft candlelight of the hall. His hair was brushed, his moustache and goatee trimmed and he looked, she thought, very much together. It was a blessed sight.

"You'll do," she commented, tilting her head and giving him a faux appraising look.

"So will you," he answered as he reached the bottom step, "Nice to see you wear a colour which isn't black all the time – I was starting to think you were taking fashion tips from Snape."

"Merlin forbid!" she exclaimed with a startled laugh. "I'd rather wear pondweed and nothing else."

"Could be interesting…" he raised a brow lecherously causing her to stick out her tongue and turn her back on him obstinately.

She had decided to don a dress in red for the evening; despite her denials Sirius was right, she did wear too much black. Her hair was, for once, pulled back from her face in a bun which was only eluded by a few loose strands of curling black hair. However beneath her skirts were the same heavy duty black boots she always wore – and the skirt of her dress was still slit for ease of movement. Her wand was tightly secured around her thigh and, on her finger, was a ring which had belonged to her mother. She had also secured Remus' protective necklace around her throat; it was an unobtrusive gold chain and she knew she should get into the habit of wearing it more often anyway. The small red stone secured at the end of the chain was tucked into her bodice so it didn't draw attention.

"Do you have the presents?" she asked, looking back at him to see he was still watching her.

"Yes," he smiled indulgently and patted his pocket, "All dollhouse sized and safely stowed away in here."

She raised both brows in mock surprise.

"My, my; your spell work's improving isn't it? Shrinking spells now, before you know it you'll get levitation and then there'll be no stopping you…"

He crossed the space between them without a word and opened the front door. However when she joined him on the top step she could see his badly suppressed smirk settled upon his face; causing his grey eyes to sparkle in the faint moonlight and the glow from within the house.

"Shall we?" he asked, closing the door and reaching out for her.

She smiled and clasped his left arm with her own; each of their hands holding the other's arm at the elbow. A moment's pressure and they were transported onto the edge of a swaying field of long grass with the Burrow sat before them. She let go of his arm and turned to look up at the house. Almost every window of the tall building was filled with golden light and she could hear faint laughter coming from inside.

She turned to look back at Sirius and rolled her eyes to see him just standing there.

"I wasn't joking about offering you up to Molly; I'd save myself every time you know – they say my survival instinct is…"

He shook his head and began walking towards the house, cutting her off and appeasing her simultaneously. As they got closer to the house she was sure she noticed the sound coming from inside getting less, not more, though she threw it off as something to do with the emptiness of the landscape. A face, spotted for a half second at an upstairs window, caught her eye as she considered that except for the Burrow there wasn't another house for miles. The sound was probably being thrown by the lone placing of the house.

"Ready to be stuffed full of Molly's cooking and inundated by the kids?" Sirius asked when they were almost at the door.

"Not so much kids anymore," she answered fondly, "They're all but grown up…"

"Bloody hell don't say that!" he countered, "Makes me feel…"

However before he could finish the sentence he stepped into the doorway…and froze. She saw the frown on his face and stepped forward, just as he turned and made a frantic gesture for her not to. However it was too late – before she could pull back she had joined him in the doorway – and found herself completely unable to move her feet; at all.

If she had not been working at Hogwarts for the last month Ana would have suspected foul play. She would have been sure something terrible was happening and acted accordingly. However with her new Hogwarts based education she was not only more knowledgeable about Magical Creatures – she was also vastly more informed about a far more mysterious breed; children.

Therefore it was with no small amount of trepidation that she raised her head to look up at the doorframe and see, hanging above her and Sirius, a full and healthy looking sprig of…

"Mistletoe," she murmured, "I'm going to jinx the Weasley twins into next week when I get in there; you hear that boys?" she called, raising her voice and hearing laughter well up from inside the house. A half moment later a window high above opened and one head, followed by another identical one, peered out to look down on them. They were both grinning maniacally.

"Go on then!" they shouted in unison. "Ana and Sirius sitting in a tree…"

She rolled her eyes and looked at Sirius who was looking up at the mistletoe incredulously.

"I'll have whoever taught them that muggle song as well," she sighed. "Well alright then…" she leaned forward and chastely pressed her lips to Sirius' cheek.

She pulled away to see him staring at her, before seemingly snapping out of whatever trance he had fallen into and making a strange shifting movement; only to shake his head.

"No joy – looks like those little buggers have put in a no-peck-on-the-cheek-clause."

She tried to move her own feet only to find them similarly stuck into place. She muttered a curse under her breath and looked up, to see the boys, along with Ginny, Ron and Harry all looking down with them.

"Oh come on," Sirius huffed, shifting slightly, "Its bloody cold out here. What are we messing about for? It's only a kiss."

Ana tried her best not to stiffen at his words. Of course; to him it would only be a kiss. However to her, with the mixture of confused, bubbling emotions lying so close to the surface, it was anything but. However he was looking at her now, straight in the eyes, a tad more intensely than she would have liked. She knew if she rejected the idea and forced the twins to come down and free them there'd be a ruckus and answers would be required. Well, she thought, I'm no coward.

Leaning forward without warning she pressed her lips gently to his, capturing his top lip between both of her own so softly she wasn't sure at first whether they were kissing or whether she was lip locked with thin air. However after a brief moment she felt his own bottom lip move, ever so slightly, against her own. Almost instantly she felt the light pressure which the twin's spell had enacted on her legs leave them. She pulled away, opening her eyes as she did so, and smiled gently at Sirius. He didn't look any different to how he had before she had kissed him but his eyes were still boring into hers; though if there was a slightly darker, headier tone to the grey now she brushed it off as a reflection of the moonlight.

"Merry Christmas, Sirius." she murmured in a half whisper; even as she heard cheering, catcalls and clapping from above from the children.

"Merry Christmas," he answered in a deep tone. She allowed her smile to widen, ever so slightly, and was rewarded with the quirking of his own lips into a gentle smile of his own. Then, without any further comment, she turned, opened the door and stepped inside the Burrow.

* * *

><p>Molly's cooking, as usual, had been spectacular. They had eaten their fill and whilst the men and Tonks had crossed to the other side of the room to sit and talk amongst themselves Ana had offered to help Molly with the washing up.<p>

Since the moment that had passed between them beneath the Mistletoe both she and Sirius had taken the same approach; pretending it had never happened. They had returned to their light camaraderie and she was glad of it. However she had promised the twins that she would wreak her revenge when they were least expecting it – which had made them both suitably nervy around her. At present however they were playing with various brightly coloured crackers, with Ron watching on smilingly.

"…hope you're enjoying yourself dear; if you'd rather leave this to me…" Molly was chattering away as she expertly cleaned and used a levitation charm to replace various crocks, pots and pans.

"Don't be silly Molly," Ana replied smilingly, "I'm happy to help. And I'm having a wonderful time, thank you; it's lovely to see everyone together again."

"Isn't it just!" Molly exclaimed with an affectionate smile, "With school and the twins doing such wonderful business in Diagon Alley I haven't seen as much of the…"

"…you're blinded by hatred…"

"I'm not!"

Ana turned to see Remus and Harry arguing fiercely at the fireside; Tonks, Arthur, and Sirius looking on with various degrees of worry plain on their faces.

"Yes you are!" Remus retorted, sitting back with what Ana noted was uncharacteristic stiffness.

"Easy Moony…" Sirius stepped in, "Harry's just telling us what he thinks…"

"People are disappearing, Harry – daily," Remus carried on as though Sirius had never spoken, "We can only place our trust in a handful of people. If we start fighting amongst ourselves we're doomed."

Remus clasped his hands together across his lap and focused his gaze on them, turning to silence. She saw Harry give Tonks a look which she replied to with a gesture urging him to drop the topic.

Ana faintly met her gaze with Sirius' and saw that he was as concerned about the outburst as she was. As they all were. Indeed Tonks looked positively pinched with concern.

"Remus," Ana called, putting down the plate she had been drying and approaching the group, "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he answered bluntly before rising and moving away from them. Tonks got up to follow him and she heard the Metamorphagus murmuring something to the werewolf in distinctly reassuring tones.

"It's close to the full moon," she half whispered in explanation to those that remained, "I've been keeping track of the lunar cycles for a couple of years now – helps me understand when Remus is at his tetchiest and avoid him at said times."

Harry gave her a small smile of understanding in response and she smiled herself as she saw Sirius lean over to pat Harry reassuringly on the arm. She was well aware that the only reason Sirius hadn't jumped in to defend his Godson was that he knew Remus' outburst was due to the wolf and not through any real animosity. Ginny Weasley weaved her way over and took a seat next to Harry, a plate on mince pies on her lap. The two teenagers looked at one another in the same moment, locking gazes, and Arthur immediately vacated his seat; coughing uncomfortably at the sight of his daughter quite obviously flirting with Harry Potter.

Ana barely suppressed a smile and reached over to pull Sirius up by the hand, despite his grumbled half protest as he threw several looks to the young couple as she pulled him away.

"Leave them be," she murmured smilingly as they both cast a furtive glance over to see Ginny feeding Harry a mince pie. "It's sweet."

She looked back to Sirius to see his gaze had already returned to her. She noted that Harry and Ginny were not the only couple to be left alone; Remus and Tonks had retreated into a far corner and were whispering between themselves, Molly had enlisted the twins help in finishing up the putting away, Ron was munching on mine pies nearby and Arthur was putting on his coat – obviously intent on going out to his shed.

"You really do look very lovely tonight," Sirius murmured, "Did I tell you that already?"

"No," she replied smilingly, "You haven't said it once, Sirius Black, you absolute cad."

"Oh a cad am I?" he asked with a gentle chuckle; very different to his bark like laughter, "You're the one who kissed me – remember?"

"Entirely under duress I assure you. It was a hard decision but I felt the use of my legs was just about more important to me than my wish to avoid snogging you…"

"Minx! It was hardly a snog…bloody hell I haven't said that word in a long time." he interrupted, "And under duress or not you loved it really."

She raised a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug and casually replied,

"I've had better…oh dear looks like your Godson just got blocked by his best friend."

They both looked over to where Ron was now seated comfortably between Harry and Ginny, his own platter of mince pies balanced on his lap as he munched away seemingly unknowing as to what he had butted in on.

"Poor Harry; he's not the only one having his heart dashed tonight…better you say? I'm broken Miss Harte – I shall never recover I'm sure…"

She laughed, flicking the tea towel she was still holding at his shoulder before turning away and re-joining Molly at the kitchen sink. She saw Sirius watch her progress for a few moments before he meandered over to join Remus and Tonks in their corner.

"You're very good for him dear," Molly murmured covertly, patting Ana on the arm before handing her another plate, "You make him much happier than I've ever seen him."

Ana simply smiled politely and carried on drying. She wasn't sure what it was she was doing with Sirius Black but she made a private note to herself to stop. No matter how much she enjoyed their casual banter, their underlying…whatever it was – it had to come to an end. She wasn't good for him, no matter what Molly said, no good because she was a liar, if only by default, and when he found out the truth making him care for her would only make the blow all the harder.

* * *

><p>"Alright; well if you're staying I might as well too," she answered as Sirius told her he was going to spend the night at the Burrow in order to get some more time in with Harry, "I don't fancy spending the night in that big old house with only Kreacher and your mother for company…"<p>

"And I don't blame you!" Sirius exclaimed.

"You don't mind, do you Molly?" Ana asked the older woman.

"Of course not my dear!" Molly exclaimed, patting her on the hand as she passed, "We were going to ask you anyway – though such a shame Remus and Tonks can't be persuaded…"

"I have early duties tomorrow Molly," Tonks murmured apologetically. Remus said nothing but they all knew why he was leaving – his unbalanced mood had been a worry all evening.

Ana said goodnight to Ginny, who was wrapped in a dressing gown and heading up to bed, before turning to hear Arthur murmur Remus' name concernedly. She saw Sirius too had gravitated towards the door; looking at his best friend with evident concern in his eyes.

Suddenly a loud rushing sound from outside drew Ana to Remus' side. Her wand was in her hand before she even had chance to think about what she was doing. There was a blazing golden ring of flames surrounding the house – something which had appeared in a matter of seconds, and a shadowy figure followed; Apparating in front of the house…

"Bellatrix," she heard Sirius mutter murderously. However when he tried to pass her by Ana pressed a hand to his chest.

"Wait," she instructed; her voice taking on a hard quality.

Bellatrix smiled at them all and turned, fleeing into the night, only for someone to shove past Ana without her noticing until it was too late and sprinting out after the figure of Lestrange…

"Harry NO!" Sirius bellowed as he himself broke past Ana and bolted after Harry. There was just time to see Harry slip through the ring of fire surrounding the Burrow before it closed completely; cutting them off from Harry with several feet of billowing flames.

"Harry!" Sirius yelled, Remus joining him, "HARRY!"

Ana started forward, only to feel another figure pelt past her. Expecting to see Tonks she was horrified to see instead Ginny Weasley racing towards the flames and leaping through a weaving gap; barely avoiding being incinerated as it closed shut swiftly behind her.

Knowing there was no time to loose Ana strode forward; muttering a counter curse to what she was sure was a form of Fiendfyre and pulling out her necklace from her bodice as she walked. She heard Sirius yell something but ignored his calls as she whipped her wand outwards in a slicing motion and passed effortlessly through the flames. She came out the other side breathing heavily and yet completely untouched by the fire; just in time to see the tail end of Ginny's bathrobe vanishing into the long grass.

"You coming to get me!" she heard Bellatrix cackle from far ahead; maniacal laughter following her. Ana set her jaw and broke into a run; following the sound of Lestrange's voice. The bitch had no idea what was coming for her.

Ana ran through the grass, keeping her ears open as she went, tracking the sound of trampling grass from Ginny up ahead and Lestange's cackles. It was several long moments before Ana finally caught up with Ginny; the girl was standing, looking around wildly with her wand raised and a frantic expression on her face.

"Ginny!" Ana hissed, coming forwards and grabbing the girl by the wrist, "You are either completely mad or very, very stupid. Where's Harry?"

"I don't know," Ginny answered, still looking around with fear plainly etched into her features, "I was following him but he was too fast…I lost him."

Ana looked around slowly, taking in the landscape – which was all the same from her view. However Lestrange had now gone quiet; which either meant she had gotten bored of her own screeching or that she had found Harry. Ana hoped it was the former.

"Come on," she whispered, "Keep quiet, keep a hold of me and don't let go for anything."

She took Ginny's hand in one of her own and, keeping her wand gripped firmly at her side, preceded onwards. Something told her that there were more Death Eaters than Bellatrix Lestrange hidden in the grass. She could still hear, very faintly, yells from the others back at the house. She hoped they were all alright.

They continued onwards until they came into a small cleared area; flooded with water. Ana looked around, listening intently, yet none the wiser as to where Harry could be. Suddenly she heard Ginny take in a deep breath at her side and felt the tightening on the girl's grip on her hand. Ana looked down to see Ginny staring into the grass – and followed her gaze to find Fenrir Greyback emerging.

Ana pulled Ginny behind her and raised her wand to point directly at the man.

"Want to play, dog?" Ana asked, a swell of rage rising up in her as she recalled that the thing which stood before her had made Remus into a werewolf.

She heard Greyback growl deeply from within the depths of his throat. It was a feral sound but his grin did not abate. She knew his kind; the wolves which enjoyed the pain, the fear. She'd killed enough of them in her time.

A splashing sound from behind caused Ana to flick a look behind her only to see Harry splashing through the calf deep water towards them. He took one look at Greyback and sent a stunning spell at the wolf; which Greyback, of course, deflected effortlessly.

"Stay behind me, Harry." Ana murmured, allowing Ginny to let her go so the girl could grip onto Harry instead. Greyback Apparated away, no doubt safe in the knowledge that their main target – Harry, was out in the open; exactly where they wanted him. She heard Greyback reappear somewhere behind them only to feel as much as hear at least two – perhaps three other forms, Apparate to various other points around the clearing.

"They're playing with us…" Ana whispered, before allowing a small smile creep onto her face, "They'll regret that."

She moved without warning, sending a Killing Curse to her left with barely a glance and hearing a heavy sounding thump as whoever had stood there thudded to the ground.

"HARRY!" she heard a voice yell; Sirius from the sounds of it, and she raised her wand airwards to send up a shower of red sparks so the others would know where they were.

"Come out, Bella!" Ana called, tilting her head as she listened for a reaction, "Don't be coward – it's too fitting…I'd expect more bravado from you, really…"

A flurry of spells flew towards them without any sense of warning. Ana swept the children behind her and faced the spells head on – deflecting all of them with a single, powerful swipe of her wand. She heard Harry deflect another from behind her and a sound of effort from Ginny as she did the same. Another flurry headed towards them and this time Ana swept one of her daggers from the holster at her thigh and used the blade to deflect the spell right back at the user. The falling of their body was muffled by the sound of more spells being cast.

Sirius suddenly burst through the grass to barrel in front of them, and it was only Ana's quick casting of a shield charm in his direction which stopped him from being stunned. A spell which she couldn't identify hit her and she let out a hiss – however the necklace burned up most of the sting as she sent another curse towards whoever had inflicted the pain on her. Sirius joined them on the slightly raised point which they had taken as base and threw a furious string of spells towards where the spell which had almost hit him had come from.

Remus and Tonks simultaneously burst through to join them, Arthur Weasley not far behind, and suddenly the spells came to a stop. Ana waited, head cocked, and after a long moment of quiet heard a crackling sound to her right. Her head swiped to the side; looking through the shadows to see a gleaming set of yellow eyes whose setting seemed almost familiar in the murky half-light…

The memory of a snowy night years ago and unbearable pain swept over her and Ana saw red. She broke free from the group, despite Sirius yelling something hoarsely as she did so, and swept aside a variety of curses which streamed towards her from the snarling figure as she did so. She didn't give the beast a chance to back away; a jerk of her wand had him barrelling towards her, against his will, his feet barely touching the ground as his neck slammed into her waiting hand and she used an inhuman strength she never knew she had to yank him to the ground and sweep a foot onto his chest, pinning him down even as he struggled to break free.

It was him, she had known it, even in the half light – even with just his eyes to go on. She would have known the beast who had marked her in any place, in any time and with any amount of light.

"You don't remember me, do you? Of course not – not this time around." she hissed, practically spitting with hatred as she pressed her full weight into the heel of her boot making him writhe, pointlessly, with pain. "But I remember you…Blacktooth. I remember you so well…and this time I'm going to be the one marking you."

"Ana?" she heard Sirius calling out but ignored him. Faintly she heard a sweeping sound from all around – the Death Eaters were Disapparating; obviously they knew there was little point in trying to defeat the entire Order, or thereabouts, with so few fighters. However Ana kept her eyes firmly fixed on the creature she had pinned beneath her.

"You've no idea how many nights I've dreamed of doing this…" she continued, knowing her voice had taken on a dangerous, silky quality and not caring in the least, "Of tearing out your eyes and your throat and your heart…" she leaned in, close enough for him to smell her but not close enough for his sharp teeth to snap at her. His hands, clawing at her leg, were ineffective. He didn't have her drive, her righteous anger – which was giving her strength she had never known before.

"Can you smell me?" she continued, "Can you smell my blood thumping beneath my skin, driving through my veins?" she was whispering now; as one would to a lover; gently and closely and yet the iron in her tone; the bitterness – that was what was making the wolf begin to sweat with fear; make his pupils dilate in terror.

"Ana?" the voice sounded much closer now. She didn't look up but she knew Sirius was all but at her side. "What are you doing?" he asked quietly. She heard Arthur yell something and then footsteps race away and yet she could feel Sirius was still with her.

For a moment Ana simply looked at the thing which had haunted her nightmares for so long; the thing which had made her ashamed for a long time – ashamed of herself. He was pathetic, really, weak and frightened and wholly pathetic.

"Nothing…" she answered, half looking back so she could see Sirius standing in her periphery vision; hovering uncertainly with Harry and Ginny at his side. "…just some unfinished business."

With a movement so quick she almost surprised herself Ana swept out a dagger from beneath her skirts and embedded it deeply in Blacktooth's forehead. She heard Ginny take in a breath as she did so but paid no attention. She focused on watching the light leave her monster's eyes, on feeling his body go limp beneath her. When she was sure he was dead she stood and tugged the blade from his flesh; wiping her dagger on her skirts before rising and turning to Sirius.

He was looking at her uncertainly, as if he wasn't sure whether she was herself or possessed by someone else. Ginny was looking away and holding onto Harry's arm with a vicelike grip. However Harry was looking at her with a look which she knew she herself wore; a hard look of someone who understand death and war and killing. A look which said he understood.

"He was the one that did this," she said tonelessly, pulling the bandage off her wrist and waving the mark before them before dropping the scrap of material on the ground. "He deserved a much more painful end than I gave him – trust me on that."

Sirius nodded slowly, still looking unsure, and she looked away towards the Burrow to see it ablaze. It was that, more than anything, which drained away her anger. She felt the strength leave her as quickly as it had come as she wordlessly turned to make her way back to the house. When she arrived, Sirius and the children in tow, it was to find everyone silently staring up at the Burrow as it burned. She looked to Molly, who was grasping her husband's hand tightly in her own, and gritted her teeth before pointing her wand up and muttering a quick spell.

Almost instantly fat droplets of clear water began to fall – not real rain; just an imitation, but the false weather fell evenly within the perimeters of the still burning circle of flames – soaking the house and slowly dampening them. It wouldn't put out the circle of fire – Fiendfyre couldn't be tamed by mere water – but it would help to save what was left of the house. Ana raised her head, closing her eyes and allowing the downpour to fall directly onto her face. She felt a hand on her side, warm on her waist, and opened her eyes to see Sirius very close and looking at her with a furrowed brow.

"Don't," she whispered, feeling tears well and not wanting him to see them, "Please don't be kind – I couldn't bear it if you were."

"What happened?" he asked as though she had never spoken.

"He did something terrible to me," she replied after a long pause, "A long time ago. You killed him, back then, but this time I did it – this time I finished it myself…" she trailed, off, looking back up at the Burrow as it burned.

It seemed as though the ravaged home symbolised everything that was wrong – everything she was supposed to be stopping. Breaking away from Sirius she turned back towards the long, towering grass and walked into it. She heard him call her name, his tone soft, but ignored his plea; instead turning neatly on the spot and Apparating away. She had no fixed idea of where she was going but somehow found herself outside the Hogwarts gates. Silently she uttered the incantation which opened them and slipped inside before closing them again securely behind her. She made her way stoically up, past the hut where she could see Hagrid's shadow silhouetted in the window as he pottered about, and without meaning to ended up on the edge of the lake. When she felt as though she could walk no more she allowed herself to crumple, more than sit, on the grassy banks; faintly covered in snow still, and shivered slightly as she realised she was definitely not dressed for a Scottish winter. For a few long seconds, her knees drawn up to her chin, she stared out across the deep, long expanse of water and allowed her mind to go blank.

Then the tears came. Deep, heart wrenching sobs seemingly from nowhere as she thought about the Weasley's, about how much they had loved their home and how much they would miss it, about Remus and Tonks – obviously in love and yet unable to do anything about it due to Remus' reluctance to understand his own merit, about Harry and what a terrible burden was placed upon his young shoulders and about Sirius…Sirius whom she was falling for so ridiculously hard. Sirius who was occupying her thoughts so often and making her heart hurt from the knowledge that it couldn't be. It could never be; because he had no idea who she truly was, her true nature and her true past. He had no idea of her parentage, of her secrets and deceptions. She had never lied to him, not once, but that didn't mean that she wasn't withholding all the truths that mattered.

It was at times such as those; the times when she felt so desperate she couldn't breathe, that she would turn to her father. His solid advice, his controlled emotion, his brisk manner – it always helped. She had rarely come to him with problems; she was more apt to ask Remus or Sirius for such aid, but when she did he had never turned her away. That alone, if nothing else, was a testament to the bond between them. It might not have been friendly to outside eyes but to her it was important nonetheless. But she couldn't go to him now. She could never go to him again. Because despite the fact that he was a mere few hundred yards away from where she sat at that very moment he had no idea of the fact that he even had a daughter. And that, perhaps most of all, was the reason for why despite the cold and the emptiness of the night she spent the hours before dawn sat in the inky blackness at the lakeside. Because it was close to him; as close as she was ever likely to get in the damned time she was being forced to live in.

Come morning she would forget it all again; pretend none of it mattered. But for that night, and that night alone, she would remember that she had a father; and his name was Severus Snape.

* * *

><p><strong>Kudos to about half of you who worked that big reveal out from the prologue - you clever blighters!<strong>


	25. When The War Is Over

She rose from the snowy ground just as the darkness began to lighten, ever so slightly, giving way to the strange kind of day time which only comes into being during the winter. A part night, part day which never seems entirely entrenched in either world and yet also seems synonymous with both. Ana could almost laugh at the similarities between herself and the slowly coming dawn.

Her footsteps crunched through the snow as she walked back towards the gates and it was only the unevenness of the sound which told her that she was shaking. Not just her hands, as usually happened, no; her entire body was racked with shivers as even her teeth clattered together loudly. That, she thought ruefully, was what you got for staying out all night in a pretty dress during a bitter Scottish winter. She reached the gates through sheer force of will and once they were closed behind her, after some unsteady wand work, she paused a moment, her back pressed against the domineering stone walls surrounding the castle grounds, as she thought as to where she would go. No one had come looking for her – if they had tried Hogwarts would certainly have been their first attempt. Then again if they Flooed the castle and found her absent what need would there be to come in person? Yet a tiny part of her twisted painfully, perhaps the remnants of her soul she thought bitterly, at the thought of no one coming for her. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms hard – until she could feel some semblance of pain. That wasn't her soul talking; she knew that if nothing else. It was her heart.

In truth there was only one place that thing, that hardest of hearts, wanted to take her. The only place she could feel truly at home. There was only ever Grimmauld Place; with its people and its memories…even if they were no longer entirely real. She peered through the iron bars, looking back to the castle, just in time to see a distant dark figure, wrapped tightly in a swaddle of clothing, marching out of the castle doors through a gap so slim she could not see it from such a distance. She would recognise her father anywhere…mentally Ana cursed herself. She couldn't think like that. Severus Snape wasn't her father, not anymore. Her father was dead. If she allowed herself to think otherwise she might say otherwise and then she'd been in ten barrels of shit and no mistake.

Turning away from the sight of one of the few people whom she could depend on Ana decided to take the lesser of two evils. Steadying herself for a moment, drawing in a deep breath which no longer clouded before her eyes – a sure sign of how cold she was, she turned neatly on the spot and Apparated home. On the doorstep she had to cling to the doorframe in order to stop herself from falling down the steps onto the street below. Her breathing was ragged and her head hurt from all the hours of tears she had spilled. Slowly, gradually, she straightened and reached out for the icy doorknob. It turned smoothly and she pushed the door open, half stepping and half staggering into the hall.

She was met by a very irate looking Remus Lupin; leaning against the foot of the staircase and staring towards the door as if willing her to walk through it.

"ANA!" he exclaimed as soon as he caught sight of her, "Merlin's beard, Ana, we were…are you alright? Oh…Sirius!"

He stepped forward speedily as she lost balance and fell forwards. Remus caught her deftly and lowered her with himself onto the floor. The banging open of a door followed by a staggering string of swear words and the scent of embers brought with it Sirius Black. He was looking down at her with a face which was pale and eyes which were set above even darker shadows than usual.

"Fucking hell what's wrong with her?" Sirius exclaimed.

"I don't know…she just opened the door and fell in…" Remus answered worriedly.

"Has she been cursed?" Sirius responded urgently. "Shit…shit …what do we do? Remus what do we…?"

"Shut up…" Ana croaked, pushing at Remus as she dragged herself into a sitting position, "I'm cold and tired - not dying; you prat."

"Right…right…into the front room – the fire's on in there. Remus; fetch some tea yeah? And put some Pepper Up in - I'll help her."

Then, without any forewarning to what his actions would be, he reached down and scooped her up into his arms. Admittedly the bravado was marred by his staggering under her weight at first but he pulled the entire thing back manfully as he kicked the door leading to the front room open and installed her smoothly onto the sofa in front of the fire without a hitch. He disappeared from her view for a moment as she settled back; allowing the stiffness in her back, legs and neck to intensify briefly as she relaxed her muscles for the first time in what felt like days.

"Here," he returned with a blanket which he laid across her body before perching next to her on the cushions.

For a long moment he simply looked down at her, as though not sure what to do, before finally, hesitantly, he moved a strand of damp hair from her forehead and murmured,

"What happened?"

She did not speak for a long time. Remus returned to the room, laid down the tea and took a seat opposite them both in an armchair and still her silence lasted. Sirius leaned forward and picked up the cup, offering it to her. She reached out, wordlessly flinching as her shaking hand trembled, before curling her fingers into a fist and dropping the arm back to her side. Sirius shuffled closer and, after helping her sit up, made her drink the tea slowly until half the cup was gone. The heat of the drink hurt her teeth at first and the Pepper Up had a bitter tang; yet the warmth from the liquid spread through her quickly. When she leaned back she felt more exhausted than she had since the days of Azkaban.

"The others are still upstairs mostly…" Remus broke in with his even tone, "Molly, Arthur and Tonks are in the kitchen but all the children have rooms and I hope they're asleep…"

Sirius laughed.

"Not likely," he explained, "If I know Harry he'll be steaming and plotting…"

"Harry's okay?" Ana asked suddenly; causing both men to look down at her.

"Yeah," Sirius replied, "Yeah he is…thanks to you. Don't shake your head woman, I saw you when I broke into the clearing. You had put yourself between my boy and the Death Eaters. Just because I didn't mention it at the time doesn't mean I didn't notice…"

"He held his own…" Ana objected gently.

"Oh I know – James' son isn't he?" Sirius and Remus exchanged a small smile before the former added, "But still it was bloody stupid – and if I think it's stupid you know that Remus was having a small stroke…"

Remus made a grunting sound; though whether of acceptance or denial Ana wasn't sure.

"…but you saved him; Ana. You saved both of them and then; I don't know what happened – Remus explained some of it but…" he stopped as he saw she had turned her head away.

Ana had squeezed her eyes tightly shut. There were no more tears; they were all gone, but there was pain – pain as she thought about Blacktooth's eyes, pain as she thought about what he had done to her, so much pain…

"Ana? Come on love; tell me."

She took in a breath; slow and deep, before; with eyes still closed and head turned away, beginning to speak.

"Most people my age are afraid of something. My nightmare was him; Blacktooth. And it was all real because I had the proof on my wrist. So when I saw him I just…I couldn't stop myself. Everything went black…no – no that isn't right…"

She opened her eyes and looked up into Sirius' grey ones before correcting,

"Everything went red – blood red. And I killed the fucker; and I'm not sorry. I never will be."

"No one expects you to feel remorse, Ana," Remus gently inputted, "But the way you left…we were so worried about you – don't you know that?"

"No," she replied in a half whisper, "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"S'alright," Sirius smiled softly, "No harm done. Now what I really want to know is how the bloody hell you strolled through Fiendfyre like it was drizzle?"

Ana smiled and gave him a faint wink before replying,

"Magic!"

"Really?" he answered drolly, "I would never have guessed that one. Go on; tell me your secret. It was damned impressive whatever it was."

She shifted slightly in her seat, sitting up and allowing Sirius more room so he could sit back properly, her legs pulled unceremoniously onto his lap in order to give more space, before answering carefully,

"Part of it was just controlling it – Fiendfyre's easy when you know how. But because I wasn't the caster that alone couldn't have saved me. Remus' necklace – the one imbued with protective magic? That did a good half the job for me."

"Easy when you know how…would you listen to her? You'd think she was talking about basic Transfiguration – not deadly flaming serpents…"

"Where were you Ana?" Remus broke in through Sirius' pointless chatter; despite the warning look Sirius gave his friend at the abrupt turn of conversation.

"Hogwarts," she answered – following her usual route of not telling lies; only half truths.

"We checked there…" Remus interrupted.

"By the lake," she corrected him softly, "I sat by the lake all night…hence why I look like a banshee minus the wail."

"You sat by the lake all night? Are you mad? It's minus ten degrees in Scotland right now!" Sirius was wide eyed with incredulity as he stared at her.

"Yep," she answered blandly, "Mad as a Hatter – that's me."

"Ana…" Remus began; his tone denoting that he definitely wasn't about to enter into the jesting.

"Leave it Remus," Sirius stepped in, causing both her and Remus to look at him in surprise. "She's had a tough night let's just…there's time – later we can talk about it. Go and tell the others she's alright will you? I think Molly's close to a full breakdown back there…"

Remus hesitated for a moment, his gaze swinging from Sirius to Ana and back again, before nodding slowly and getting up to leave. However before he could Ana called out,

"Remus?"

He turned back to look at her expectantly.

"Thanks. Really; thank you. For caring, for being here…for everything. I'm grateful, don't think I'm not, I won't forget."

His sober expression instantly softened and she thought that when he smiled he was probably one of the most handsome men she knew. She returned his smile and kept it firmly fixed on her face until the werewolf had left the room. In fact it was only when she felt Sirius shift slightly that she refocused on him. He, as seemed to be the norm lately, was watching her with that same inscrutable expression she was quickly becoming accustomed to.

"You saved Harry last night," Sirius said, raising a hand as she tried to interrupt, "No, come on, I got Remus off your back – you can at least let me say by piece."

She nodded, sullenly, before waiting for him to finish with what she hoped was a look of patient expectation.

"You saved Harry…but you saved me too. I saw that, Ana, you deflected a curse headed straight for me and took one yourself as thanks. If you hadn't been wearing your necklace you would have…I don't know," he sighed, his eyes darting away from hers before coming back again after a pause, "You risked your life for me, for Harry – and I know you've told me a thousand times you would but I never really believed it. Not until last night."

Ana said nothing, merely allowing him to speak. However inside a rush of emotions were coursing round her body; both ones she wanted to experience, more than anything, and ones she didn't want to think about – ones suppressing and ones rising higher and higher…

"…and I know that there's…there's something going on; between us. Stop me if I'm wrong but I don't think I am, am I?"

She hesitated. She could tell him he was mad, right now, stop it all in its tracks before it had even begun…

"No," she replied without even realising she was speaking until the words had left her mouth, "No you're not wrong."

Sirius nodded slowly, his expression intense.

"I know…for the love of Le Fay this is hard. I'm not used to being in this sort of position, you know? Azkaban isn't really the place for it and before prison…well before that I was a proper knob…rebel without a cause and constant trouble make extraordinaire…"

"Some things never change," she answered with a smirk, causing him to lightly slap her legs, still covered in the damp skirts of her dress, in admonishment.

"Yeah well you might have a point but…what I'm saying is that I need to be there for Harry now. I need to be fully there for him; you know? So I'm…I'm not saying never but I'm saying…I suppose I'm saying not now. Whatever it is there's time, when the war is done with, to think about, to…you know what I'm saying, don't you? I bloody hope so because I'm not even half sure myself…"

She smiled and reached over to take the hand which was resting warmly on her shins with one of her own. She could see the worry, the conflict, clearly on his face and strangely enough she had never been gladder.

"I agree with you Sirius. I am your friend and I don't want to lose that but you're right. Harry is the priority – winning this war is the priority. If we're both still alive after that…well we'll see."

His expression instantly cleared as he grinned.

"That was what I hoped you'd say; I always knew you were a woman after my own heart…"

"Even when you pinned me to a wall, tried to curse me and tied me up on the kitchen floor the first day we met?" she asked playfully, releasing his hand and leaning back, allowing her eyes to drift shut as she did so.

"Well you were breaking into my house…" he defended.

"No; I wasn't," she answered, her reply interspersed with a yawn, "I'm a Secret Keeper. I'm practically a key all in myself."

He had no answer to that and so Ana smiled, eyes still closed, and allowed the crackling of the fire and the warmth of his body next to hers carry her off into much needed, long overdue, sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know there will be questions about this so I'll do a little A/N here to try and avoid confusion. Yes; they agree they have certain feelings for one another. HOWEVER. I believe it would be untrue to my characters to assume either Ana OR Sirius would want to become involved when they are fighting in this war. At least...not yet. Never say never darlings! But Sirius would put Harry above any romantic feeling, no matter how strong, and Ana would do the same out of respect for him. Plus her father is Sirius' long time enemy and, knowing Sirius Black, that, whether kept secret or not, would put strain on anything they entered into together - and Ana wouldn't want that for anything. She'd want to do it right or not at all. So if you're wondering why you all just got cock-blocked - there you go. Sorry! Back to canon next chapter!**


	26. Moonseed Poison

**Sorry for the delay - I've been working on an entry for Mills and Boon's New Voices competition. If you want to check out my entry I'm listed under Rosemarie Short and my entry is 'The Gilded Cage'; you can see it at www . romanceisnotdead . com (remove spaces!). Ah now enough self promotion; this chapter is just getting things on the canon track again but I think it shows more about Ana's character so I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Mr Weasley you are not a Dementor. Therefore I assure you that there is no chance of you repossessing Miss Brown's soul. No matter how…determined your endeavours."<p>

Ana raised a brow to a flushed Ronald Weasley as he shrugged slightly, as though asking what she imagined he could possibly do about the situation, and threw what was no doubt supposed to be a casual glance to the fleeing form of Hermione Granger…however his gaze was soon refocused by an over eager Lavender who seemingly enjoyed latching onto his face with vacuum like suction power. Hermione, for her part, was striding away rapidly as Harry stood between his two best friends with a wan expression.

"Walk, Potter?" she asked; turning and beginning walking without waiting for his assent.

It was only when they were far out of the crowds lining the corridor that she turned to Harry with a smile and asked gently,

"How are you Harry?"

It had been a few short days since they had all returned to Hogwarts. Christmas had been spent in joviality – or as much as could be found, at Grimmauld Place as the Burrow was not fit to be lived in by man or beast in its current state. Sirius had been in his element; she thought he had been craving the opportunity to be surrounded by friends again, and he and Harry were, if possible, closer than ever. However Ana couldn't forget the distant expression in his eyes when the children, along with Ana herself, had lined up in the hall and left the house for yet another long term. Yes; Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley and Remus, on and off, were still in the house with him but still…she thought perhaps Sirius Black felt more at home with the children than he ever would with people his own age.

"Yeah; good thanks. How about you?"

"Yeah, fine." she answered with a half-smile. Her nightmares had been getting worse but there was no reason to worry Harry with that. He had enough problems to be dealing with.

"I've got to be getting off, actually," Harry began tentatively, "Got a lesson with Dumbledore…"

Ana nodded. She had been informed, to an extent, about Harry and Dumbledore's evening classes. From what she could gather they were necessary but top secret and perhaps, in the end, would turn out to be nothing at all. Or perhaps Dumbledore was just exceptionally good at lying.

"Right; I won't keep you then. Just wanted to…you know, check in."

Harry nodded and offered an awkward smile before asking hesitantly.

"Ana…you and Sirius…you're not…?" he didn't finish the sentence; he didn't have to. He simply offered a half shrug as conclusion.

"Would it be a problem if we were?" she asked; wanting to know his honest opinion before telling him that he had nothing to worry about on that score, that she and Sirius had reverted to friendliness and nothing more…that she had barely touched him, had not spent a moment alone with him, since the night she had returned from the lakeside. It was more self-imposed than anything else…she knew that if she were to break that boundary there would be no stopping…

"No! No I mean…well I think it might be good for him. Having someone I mean."

Ana smiled. She knew she liked Potter for a reason.

"No, Harry, we're not. There's nothing between us but friendship."

"Right," Harry answered sounding anything but convinced.

"How about you? Have you and…?"

"Got to go!" Harry exclaimed, "See you at dinner!"

She had never seen the Chosen One move so fast - certainly not off the Qudditch pitch.

* * *

><p>"An' then I'll reckon us to be done." Hagrid intoned, smiling at her over the top of a pile of parchment which was spattered with an assortment of mud, pumpkin juice and a green sludge which Ana neither wanted to nor could identify. They were going through lesson plans; something Ana had not in the least missed about Hogwarts.<p>

"Hagrid are you sure you'll need all fifty Blast Ended Skrewts…?"

"I'd say so" Hagrid exclaimed, "Few extra 't be sure like…"

Ana nodded wearily. She was glad she had procured some Burn Healing Paste before returning to school. It sounded as though she would be very much in need of it.

"Ana; are yeh intendin' t' restart Duellin' Club soon?" Hagrid asked in a semi casual tone, "Only the kids are hankerin' after me t' tell 'em an…"

"Once January has passed – let them have a break from Severus and his…"

A flaring from the fireplace caused her to stop midsentence and look up to see a terrified looking face staring out at her from the embers. Dumbledore had connected their fire to the Floo network at the New Year; stating that they should be as attached to the castle as all the other teachers – whether they lived outside the castle walls or not. Privately Ana was sure it was rather more likely that Dumbledore wanted to be able to call on her for Order matters at any time. But she had let Albus' explanation be the one Hagrid had been told. She didn't want to worry the half giant.

"Harry?" Ana asked, recognising the face and immediately launching out of her seat to come to her knees at the fireside. "What is it? What's happened?"

"Ron's been poisoned," he blurted out; eyes wide, "I gave him a bezoar but we need to get him to the hospital wing and I can't carry him on my own…"

"Alright…Harry? Harry? Where are you?"

"Slughorn…Professor Slughorn's…"

"His office or his quarters? Which is it Harry? Office or…"

"Quarters!" Harry exclaimed, "At his quarters."

"Alright," Ana answered calmly, "Alright step back – I'm coming through."

She stood and bent down to retrieve a handful of Floo Powder from the small earthenware jar at the side of the fireplace.

"Ana yeh can'!" Hagrid exclaimed, "Ye'll…"

"Harry needs me," she responded bluntly, before stepping forward into the fire, the Floo Powder swirling around her as she was swallowed up by the flames, and shouting out, "Horace Slughorn's Quarters!"

She whirled around as the Floo transported her. It barely took a second – the distance was small after all – and suddenly she was standing in the fire looking at a pale looking Harry, a motionless Ron prostrate before her, and a taken aback Horace Slughorn.

"How is…how can…but you're…?" the man began stuttering; staring at her incredulously.

"Obliviate."

Before she could think the word was from her mouth and her wand was pointing at Slughorn; who had now gone slack jawed and dreamy eyed.

"Ana!" Harry exclaimed; looking at her incredulously, "What are you…?"

She looked to the boy; he really did look as though he had gone through some kind of war in a very short space of time. The gleam of his green eyes in the firelight was fevered.

"Slughorn isn't a member of the Order, Harry, and no one outside the Order is supposed to know I can do magic," she responded calmly; her training for keeping calm in even the most stressful of situations kicking in, "I couldn't delay – you and Ron were in danger, so I took the risk and came through the Floo; something only usable for magical peoples... hence my configuring Professor Slughorn's memory."

For a moment she watched Harry process the information, his eyes flickering from her to his potions Professor, to Ron and then back again in a loop. Finally, tersely, he gave a nod and she returned her own attention back to Slughorn.

"I was passing, I heard a noise, knocked, you let me in and now I'm helping." she muttered, using the spell to interweave the story with his own memory all but flawlessly. She could have done the entire thing silently but she spoke it aloud for Harry's benefit – she didn't want their stories to clash should there be a need to tell said story.

Ana swiftly re-holstered her wand beneath her skirts and watched as a dazed Slughorn shook his head once, twice before looking at her and asking suddenly,

"Shall we take Weatherby to the hospital wing then Miss Harte?"

Ana smiled.

* * *

><p>Madam Pomfrey nodded to her with a kind smile and Ana stepped forward gratefully. She didn't doubt the Healer's skills – not one bit, but all the same she would feel better for having a look at Ron herself. She hadn't had much contact with the youngest Weasley boy but he was important to Harry and seemed like a nice enough lad – exceptionally bad taste in women, yes, but certainly not bad in any other way she'd care to mention.<p>

He was half asleep as she lifted an eyelid; his sister, Hermione and Harry all looking on with Madam Pomfrey hovering at the edge of the bed with a curious expression on her face.

"I learned this from some fantastic former St. Mungo's Healer I happened to come into contact with…oh it must have been four years ago now – maybe more. Augustus, his name was, never got a last name. He didn't stick around long. However he was a great believer in Muggle remedies and manners of treatment being used in conjunction with wizarding ones…"

She spoke quietly and evenly as she worked, lifting both eyelids one after the other and examining Ron's pupils. She then pressed fingers to his throat, running them gently up the column of his oesophagus and then holding them lightly to his pulse point for a few seconds. She listened to his breathing, stopping her running commentary for a moment as she did so, before leaning back with a smile and a wink to Madam Pomfrey before finishing,

"I think Mr Weasley will be absolutely fine," she heard Hermione release a breath of relief at that and had to fight to keep her smile gentle and not grin at the obviousness of the action, "Although I would suggest some Calming Draughts over the next few hours – to soothe Mr Weasley's nerves? Don't you agree Madam Pomfrey?"

The witch nodded and returned Ana's smile.

"One would think you were a Healer yourself, Miss Harte – your knowledge is certainly extensive enough…."

"I am a mere keen amateur - but it does well to have hobbies I find," Ana replied smoothly, "However Harry is the hero of the hour – you did so well, Harry – really you did." She smiled and stood as she saw Albus Dumbledore enter the room. In the shifting that followed she leaned over and whispered to the boy so that only he could hear, "Sirius will be so proud."

Harry offered her a genuine smile of affection in response.

Minerva McGonagall was accompanying the Headmaster and, but a step after him, came Severus Snape – gliding into the room with his usual evenly paced stride. Her eyes met his as he scanned the people within the room but the contact was quickly broken.

"Quick thinking on your part, Harry – using a bezoar," Dumbledore said; "You should be very proud of your student, Horace."

Ana saw Snape's barely concealed stiffening of expression at the praise Harry was getting. However the boy himself seemed more concerned with Ron's shifting movements.

"Oh yes," Slughorn answered, "Very proud."

"And lucky you should be passing at the time, Miss Harte," Dumbledore added, shooting her a look which, she thought, saw far more than she could possibly tell.

"Yes," she decided to answer plainly, "Very fortunate. Though I did nothing really; it was all Harry…"

"I think we all agree that Potter's actions were heroic…the question is why were they necessary?" Minerva broke in with a strained tone.

"Why indeed?" asked Dumbledore, moving over to Slughorn in order to examine the jar in which the mead which had poisoned Ron was contained. "This appears to be a gift Horace," Dumbledore continued as he took the jar, "You don't remember who gave you this bottle? By the way it contains…"Dumbledore inhaled the scent before adding, "Remarkably subtle hints of liquorice and cherry…were it not polluted with poison…"

Snape took the bottle himself, taking a sniff as Slughorn answered,

"Actually I had intended to give it as a gift myself…to you Headmaster."

Ana crossed the room to Snape's side as Mcgonagall and Dumbledore exchanged loaded looks. She tilted her head slightly in question and, after a slight hesitation, Snape nodded wordlessly and handed her the poisoned flask. She did not bother to smell it; if Snape could not detect anything then she stood no chance. However she did cover the opening with her index finger and tip the bottle upside down so her skin was coated, but not flooded, with the liquid. She examined the seemingly normal alcohol for a moment before, with a small frown of concentration, rubbing the finger against her thumb until the mixture had entirely evaporated.

"Ah…" she whispered, half to herself, returning to bottle to Snape. He eyed her darkly for a moment and she gave the slightest shake of her head; hoping he would understand her intention. She didn't want to talk about the poison in front of everyone – at least not in front of the children. Thankfully he seemed to understand for he inclined his head slightly in answer.

"WHERE IS HE?" a hysterical voice cried from somewhere down the corridor. Ana raised a brow at Snape and almost had to laugh to see he had mirrored her action perfectly. Instead of laughing however, which she felt might not be something he would enjoy, she turned to see none other than Lavender Brown barrelling into the Hospital Wing and heading straight for Ron's bed – shoving Snape and Slughorn aside as she went.

"Where's my Won-Won?" Lavender asked desperately, leaning over the foot of the bed, "Has he been asking for me?"

There was a long pause in which Ana had to clench her jaw together to avoid laughing out loud – until Lavender's tone changed entirely as she asked icily,

"What's she doing here?" her steely gaze was directly trained on Hermione.

"I might ask you the same question!" exclaimed Hermione, rising from her seat.

Ana's jaw was getting sore from being so stiffly held and she was very much afraid that if she so much a flickered a half glance at Snape she would break into completely uncontrollable laughter.

"I happen to be his girlfriend!" Lavender exclaimed, taking a step forward.

"I happen to be his…friend." Hermione responded slightly lamely – but with no less conviction.

"Miss Brown…" Ana tried, unable to stop herself from interfering any longer; her tone impressively free of humour as she spoke.

"I suppose you want me to break up with him…now he's all interesting!" Lavender continued; ignoring Ana's input entirely.

"He's been poisoned – you daft bimbo!" Hermione replied exasperatedly.

Then Ana heard, so quietly she was barely sure she heard it at all, Snape made a slight sound at her side. If sounded very much like a grunt of agreement. Ana had to agree herself – Lavender Brown was especially dense in the grand scheme of things.

"…and for the record I've always found him interesting!" Hermione finished speaking just as Ron twitched in his sickbed; whispering something under his breath as he dreamed restlessly.

"Ah – SEE! He senses my presence." Lavender breathed, sitting at the foot of the bed and grabbing Ron's leg in a dramatically claw like grip. Ana rolled her eyes.

"Err…My…Knee…" Ron croaked hoarsely, "Err…My…Knee…"

Lavender stiffened before, with a melodramatic gasp and a torrent of sudden tears, running out of the hospital wing leaving echoing sobs in her wake. For a long moment there was silence.

"Well…" Ana murmured, "That was…embarrassing."

"Ah to be young and feel love's keen sting." Dumbledore answered philosophically. "Well; come on everybody – Mr Weasley is well tended for."

The teachers all began to move from the room and, with one last glance back at Harry; who nodded in response to her unspoken question after his wellbeing, she moved closer to Snape and murmured under her breath,

"A word with you?"

He nodded and continued his pace unchecked. She had always enjoyed the fact that he needed very few words to get almost any point across. They separated from McGonagall and Dumbledore, who headed towards the Headmaster's office, and headed down; far down towards the dungeons. Throughout the journey they did not speak. It was almost a comfortable silence; something she felt she got little of nowadays.

Finally they reached his office. She noted he had avoided allowing her to see his quarters; though she had no problem with his decision in that respect. Some places just needed to be private.

"Well?" he asked, once they were inside and he had placed the jar of mead on his desk. It stood between them with him on one side of the mahogany furniture and her on the other. For a brief half moment she felt like a school girl being reprimanded. She felt like she was five again and had accidentally used magic to break something expensive. He had always scolded …

"Miss Harte?" he asked, his brows raised high on his forehead.

"It's Moonseed poison," she responded briskly, "The scentless nature, lack of colouring and the faint white residue which appears once the poison is evaporated - something which you don't get with alcohol…the only flaw in a perfect, fast acting and; if in the right dosage, deadly poison."

There was a pause before Snape nodded; his expression tense.

"You seem to have a great deal of knowledge on this. The second attempt on the Headmaster's life you have been able to contribute to…"

"Oh come on," she interrupted with a sigh, "The cursed necklace was a mad kind of fate I suppose; lucky perhaps, but this? You would have come up with the same answer eventually; it's hardly specialist knowledge, Moonseed; I mean, first years know it's poisonous in the right amount."

"That may be so…"

"That is so!" she exclaimed, "Why are you so intent on trying to pin this on me? I mean really; you know enough by now to know if I wanted Dumbledore dead he would already be dead. I could do it easier than you could breathe."

Snape tilted his head before conceding in his deep tones,

"It does seem too…sloppy," he seemed ill at ease with the word and continued onwards quickly, "However it could also be a ploy in order to…"

"Yes it could be a ploy," she agreed tiredly, "So could your offer to help Draco Malfoy complete Merlin knows what for the Dark Lord. You see where we stand here? This isn't about what I know or you know or what anything suspects or thinks…it's about trust. I trust you which is why I don't suspect you. Can you say the same for me?"

He hesitated.

"It's fine. I don't expect you to. Just thought I should let you know; about the Moonseed."

She turned to leave, her footsteps sounding loudly on the stone as she crossed to the door.

"I think you are innocent," he suddenly said; his voice quiet in comparison to her movements. She paused, not looking back, just listening as to whether he would speak anything more. He didn't.

"Thank you." she replied before continuing; leaving the dungeons and heading up; not stopping until she had emerged out into day light.


	27. The Boy's Bathroom

_The walls were cold; icy cold and her breath visible before her eyes. She was shaking – the effects of hours of curse damage evident. Her limbs ached; there was a searing pain in her chest which intensified with every indrawn breath. Her teeth were chattering._

"_I am a member of the Order of the Phoenix," she whispered to herself, "I am a member of the Order of the Phoenix. I am a member…" _

_She whimpered as a Dementor sailed past her cell; drawing what little warmth, what little hope, she still had from her in dark streams. _

"_I am…" she began reciting again – only to forget what she had been saying. Her brow furrowed. She struggled to remember but nothing came. _

"_I am…" she tried again, "I…I have friends. They're waiting for me. They'll find a way to save me. Remus, Sirius, the Weasley's, Victoire, Dumbledore…Sirius…" _

_Another Dementor, or perhaps the same one, came once again to her cell. However this time it lingered, its blank, eyeless gaze pinning her as it drew out the thoughts, drew out the names, robbed her of her only comfort. _

"_Friends…" she repeated, "Remus and Sirius and…" she stopped, unable to name any more. _

"_Remus and Sirius, Remus and Sirius, R…" she clenched her trembling hands into fists as she fought to remember, strove to keep them with her. The effort caused her head to spin and her vision to darken yet still she tried; still she fought. _

_However Dementors are not creatures which can be fought. She felt her eyes close as her mind, already exhausted and not helped by the effort of trying to fight off the Dementor's draw, started to close off. She slumped against the wall; toppling over so that her head knocked off the stone sharply. She let out a whine; a keening sound, even as her vision blurred._

"_Daddy…" she breathed as the Dementor blended with the stone around it and she found herself unable to keep the darkness at bay any longer. A tear leaked from the corner of her eye, "Daddy please…"_

* * *

><p>Ana sat up with a gasp; her breath heaving even as she looked around and realised she was safely in the cottage and there was no Azkaban, no Dementors and no imprisonment. Her brow was covered in a cold sweat and her stomach churned with fear and pain. She swiped a hand across her face and felt tears mix in with the sweat.<p>

She heard a tapping sound and looked up to the tiny window squashed into the cabin wall. There was an owl perched on the window ledge; a pitch coloured bird (the only one of its kind Ana had ever seen) which belonged to the one person she could tolerate being with in that moment. She pulled back the sweaty covers and slipped out of bed, opening the window so the owl could flutter through and perch precariously on top of a pile of books. She reached out and took the letter from its leg, quickly snatching a hand back as it tried to nip her. She would never understand why Sirius chose to have an owl which was so prone to biting.

The letter was not long. She unfurled the roll of parchment and smiled as she saw his familiar hand.

_Ana,_

_I would wax poetic about how the house isn't the same without you but, in all honesty, I only really miss you for your tea making skills._

_Harry wrote. He said you helped him save Ron. It does me good to know you're there to help him out. At least I know someone can be there for him._

_Send news. I'm bored._

_Sirius_

Ana closed her eyes and smiled. It may have been the most un-flattering and mundane letter she had ever received but right in that moment, with the nightmare still lurking at the edges of her mind, it was definitely the best seven lines she had ever read.

* * *

><p>"An' tha'll do it I'll reckon, Ana."<p>

She smiled in relief as Hagrid nodded; satisfied at their handiwork. The night before had brought with it a snow storm with winds so strong Dumbledore had advised all staff and pupils to not go outside until Hagrid had announced an all clear. For their part she and the groundskeeper had stayed at the caste, taking refuge in a spare classroom for the night, so great was the fear that the cabin might suffer some ill effects of the storm. Even magic, Dumbledore had reminded them, cannot always tame the wild whims of nature. Or something like that; it was poetic, she was sure, and there had definitely been some alliteration in there somewhere…

The cold was sharp that morning but the snow had gone from blizzard to light flurries. She and Hagrid had spent hours tending to the Whomping Willow; which had sustained a lot of damage in the storm. She took in a deep, icy breath and, stretching whilst absent-mindedly touching a long scratch running from temple to jawline courtesy of the Willow's thanks for their care, she peered up at the castle. It had taken four attempts to press the knot at the Willow's base and still it completely. For a tree it had a mighty amount of rage.

Hogwarts had not been harmed. It was a stout thing, imbued with magic old enough to be long forgotten by those who were now living, and she smiled at the feeling of warmth she got when she looked at the old place. Somehow in the last few months Hogwarts had become a second home. Not the same place of safety as Grimmauld Place, no, but still somewhere she could rely on. It only made her more fearful of what might happen in the days to come; the days of impending war.

A sudden flash in a far off window within the castle caused her attention to pull away from her thoughts. She frowned as she waited; watching the window where the flash had come from. All her years of intent, thorough magical training had taught her much and one of those things was to be able to identify spells; even by simply judging the colour and length of the accompanying flashes of light. For a moment, when looking up at the window, she had been sure she recognised…

Another flash, followed by a second in quick succession, had her shoulders squared and her fingers itching to pull out her wand. The place where the flashes were coming from was too high up to be a classroom – on the wrong side of the castle. It was more likely an abandoned room; a store cupboard or…her mind made the connection. It was a bathroom; she was sure of it – a fifth floor bathroom. Another flash caused her to turn to Hagrid.

"There's something going on in the castle," she said hurriedly, looking around for signs of movement. As the lockdown on the castle was still firmly in place she noted with satisfaction that she and Hagrid were completely alone, "I'm going to go and see; stand in front of me."

Hagrid frowned and looked as though he were about to ask something. However something in her look must have forewarned him to avoid arguing as he simply nodded and remained still as she hurried behind his bulky frame.

"Yeh're not goin' t' use magic are yeh?" he asked, "Ana yeh'll be caught…"

"No I won't. Hagrid I think there are people Duelling up there." She threw another glance upwards and saw yet more faint flashes from the same window, "And those spells aren't harmless; whoever is fighting up there…they're aiming to do serious harm. I have to go."

She patted him on the arm solidly, hoping he would take some comfort from the movement, before letting out a breath and allowing her form to dissemble into a dark smoke as she swerved around Hagrid and made a beeline for the bathroom. She whirled there in the blink of an eye, only reassembling her form in time to throw herself through the window. Glass shattered around her as she smacked into the floor, rolling in order to absorb some of the impact, and coming to land in a crouch as she looked around her; taking in the scene.

The floor was wet; her dress was soaked from rolling through a good few inches of water. The stalls were all but completely destroyed; blasted apart. At one side of the room, near the entrance, she saw Harry standing and, behind him, she saw another figure looming; Snape. Harry looked horrified, and Snape more so; though the boy's eyes barely strayed to her for a moment before going back to some point just beyond her, at her back. She turned to see what he was looking at and felt her heart plummet.

Draco Malfoy was sprawled on the bathroom floor. There were tears across his chest, not cuts but tears, deep and bleeding – turning the water at her feet red. His face was paler than usual and he was making quiet keening sounds as he feebly writhed in pain. She looked back to Snape only to find he had swept past Harry and was even now nearing Malfoy's side. Ana scrambled over, kneeling next to Malfoy's head and pulling it up off the cold, wet floor and onto her lap.

"Shh," she murmured stroking white blonde hair out of his eyes as Snape came to kneel next to her and immediately began healing Malfoy's wounds. The boy was crying now; harsh sobs racking his body as Snape healed his wounds. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry turn and race out of the bathroom. She didn't stop him.

"It hurts…" Malfoy whimpered. She reached over and took his hand.

"It's going to be alright," she whispered, trying to keep the boy calm, "You're going to be fine. You'll have some lovely war wounds. You can tell your friends you fought an ogre. Or a cave troll; I hear those are alumni of Hogwarts bathrooms. You'll be hero of the hour. They'll worship the ground you walk on I daresay; Slytherin Pride will demand it. "

All the blood was cleared from the floor now and Snape had finished murmuring his enchantments. He was silent, looking down at Draco's form as he sat on his heels. For his part the boy had fallen into unconsciousness as she had spoken. She was glad. She looked up and waited for Snape to meet her eyes.

"I should go after Harry," she whispered. He nodded. "Can you stay with…?"

"I shall remain with Mr Malfoy. He will be well cared for."

She inclined her head and looked down to see he now merely looked as though he was sleeping; though the tears still stood glistening on his cheeks. She looked across to his chest, where now only the slashes in his shirt indicated the full extent of the wounds he had suffered, and added slowly,

"I'll get him to give up the book,"

She saw Snape's head jerk up and met his dark gaze with her own. He seemed almost surprised.

"Come on, Severus, how else would Harry have known that spell? There are only two people alive, to my knowledge, who are aware of it and they would be you and me. The potions book is the only answer. I'll get him to give to me and then I'll give it to you. You can do what you like with it then…but I hope you'll burn it."

Snape hesitated before nodding.

"Thank you," he murmured.

She nodded and slipped Malfoy's head from her lap. She removed her coat quickly, not the one Sirius had given her but a thicker, woollier version on the same model, and used it to place as a cushion beneath his head. With a last look she turned to leave.

"You can fly." Snape suddenly stated; his voice barely above a whisper. She knew there were students gathered outside and that they'd have to keep their voices down so they wouldn't be detected.

"Oh yes. There's no end to the things I can do."

With that she waved her wand around her head in a smooth, circular motion; allowing herself to become all but completely invisible. She then swept out of the bathroom, cutting through the throng of students and following the wet footprints which led away – towards the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

><p>Outside the room she covertly glanced about to make sure no one was around to see her performing magic before undoing the charm she had used to blend in seamlessly with her surroundings; the next best thing to an invisibility cloak. The Fat Lady, along with all the other portraits on the floor, were snoozing. Apparently they had rather overindulged on the Feasting Monks' communion wine stores during the New Year. After clearing her throat loudly and waking the bleary portrait she murmured to the Fat Lady,<p>

"Dilligrout."

"Not for me thank you." replied the Fat Lady woozily.

"No; I mean Dilligrout…as in the password?"

"Oh yes; sorry Miss Harte." she corrected, sitting up and obviously pulling herself together as she realised it was a teacher and not a student at the portrait hole.

"No problem – by the way I hear the painting of the Merry Gentlemen on the seventh floor is well stocked with a fabulous hangover cure; not that you'd need it of course…."

"Oh bless you," the Fat Lady exclaimed, not denying the need in the least, "My head has been pounding for days…"

She cut herself off as her portrait swung open; revealing the Gryffindor common room.

Ana stepped in, hearing the rabble instantly quieten as she did so. Everyone, without exception, turned to face her with curiosity plain to see. Apparently it was a rare thing for teachers to enter the student common rooms.

"Potter," she asked briefly, "Where is he?"

More silence as everyone stared, this time at one another, before Seamus Finnegan seemed to stir to life and answered,

"Upstairs – in our dorm."

"Which one is that?" she asked.

"Fourth on the right," Seamus added.

Ana nodded and offered a tight smile.

"Thank you, Mr Finnegan."

She swept over to the staircase and strode up the stairs, hearing the chatter begin again behind her as she did so. She heard a lot of people, and awful lot, begin to excitedly surmise just how much shit Harry Potter had gotten himself into this time.

Once she reached the fourth door on the right she swung it open, without knocking, to reveal a very typical boy's dorm. There were clothes strewn across the floor along with an assortment of other miscellaneous items; including what seemed like tonnes of various sweet wrappers. Surrounding a bed on the far side of the room were the four people she had expected to be there; Harry, Ron, Hermione and, the trio's seeming forth musketeer, Ginny.

"What the bloody hell happened, Harry?" she asked without preamble. The foursome whipped around to look at her. Ginny was sitting beside Harry on the bed with Ron and Hermione sitting together to the side. All of them looked worried; but Harry was the most pallid of all.

"I…" he murmured, cutting off before trying again, "I don't…I just don't…Malfoy," he interrupted himself suddenly, eyes wide, "Is he…?"

"Professor Snape has healed him as well as he can be healed." Ana responded. "There may be scarring, it's too early to tell…but Harry you must understand that that is beside the point."

He nodded slowly, looking shell shocked. Ginny gave her a reproachful glance which Ana ignored. Ron and Hermione were silent.

"Harry…" Ana sighed and approached, crouching before Harry and taking his hands in hers, "Harry that spell…it's not something I'd want you to know. It's not something I'd want anyone to know. It's dangerous and from a dangerous place…" she looked to the book, laid on the table between them all, and clenched her jaw, "You should know better than to take instruction from handwritten meanderings in a book…"

"That's what I told him," Ginny admitted.

"Well you're right, she's right Harry; if you'd done that spell the way it was supposed to be done, with the true intent…" she stopped and breathed out, "You could have killed him Harry; which is why I am taking the book…"

He looked up rapidly.

"No – you won't argue with me on this. I am taking that book and I'm ensuring it is destroyed. No one else will suffer as a result of it."

Harry nodded slowly, detachedly. Ana swallowed and tilted her head. He looked so…broken.

"I'm not going to yell, Harry, I'm not going to lecture you about how dangerous it was because I know I could never make you feel as guilty as you are making yourself feel right now. But Merlin, Harry, please…if you find something that could be dark, that has no known origin, like this book…you can come to me. I don't know whether this is my fault, if I wasn't open enough with you, didn't let you feel you could but…Harry a lot of people care about you; me included. We want you safe, all of you," she looked to the others to include them in the statement, "But for us to help you you must let us in. I'm sorry – I…"

"It's not your fault," Harry said hollowly, "It's not…I was angry. Malfoy cursed Katie Bell – I know he did – and…"

"Not now Harry," Ana responded, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his temple, "I'm just glad you're okay – though how the bloody hell I'm going to stop Sirius giving you a medal for almost killing a Malfoy is beyond me…"

Harry let out a small burst of laughter before cutting himself off with a guilty look.

"It's going to be fine," she repeated, patting his cheek and looking to the others, "Look after him."

She swept the book off the table and left the dorm before they noticed there were tears in her eyes.

* * *

><p>For the second time in as many weeks Ana was standing in a space of the castle belonging exclusively to Severus Snape. However this time she found herself not in his impersonal, stark office – but in his impersonal, stark quarters.<p>

She tried very hard to ignore the fact that her father's rooms in nineteen ninety seven mimicked the ones he had lived in within their home almost exactly. A wealth of books and little else lined the walls. He had handed her a cup of steaming hot tea wordlessly almost as soon as she had stepped within the room; after being directed there via Madam Pomfrey. Ana had not been allowed to see Draco but had been assured he was doing as well as could be expected and was currently sleeping. With equally stoic silence Ana handed over the potions book which she had taken from Harry. Snape looked down at it with an intent gaze, opening the cover and reading the words on the inside.

"Half Blood Prince," she murmured; knowing what was written there, "I always thought it was either stunningly arrogant or completely brilliant."

"A childhood idiocy," he replied equally quietly.

She sipped her tea and watched him as he leafed slowly through the book. The cup he had handed her was sturdy; more like a mug in nature and a dark brown colour. However the tea itself was lemony; Earl Grey or something of the kind, warm and refreshing and almost perfect. She had to dampen down the remembrance of Earl Grey being his favourite tea; and also hers.

"You have spoken with Potter?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes; I think…he understands the weight of his actions. I think we might leave it where it is. He will punish himself enough; even though it is Malfoy he almost killed."

"That does not change the fact…"

"…it does not change the fact that he almost killed someone; a fellow student no less. No; you're right. But I don't think he's likely to try and kill any other member of the student body any time soon."

Snape nodded slowly before fixing her sternly with his gaze.

"You knew about the book…about my childhood name for myself."

"Yes," she replied.

"What else do you know?" he asked evenly.

She hesitated before replying honestly,

"Everything."

He nodded but said nothing more. She was unsure as to whether she was relieved or not as to his lack of pressing. Instead she took another sip of tea and watched as he flicked a glance to her before placing the book carefully down on the table.

"Mr Malfoy should suffer no ill effects from today's events."

"I'm glad," she murmured, before adding, "I should probably leave. I need to write to Sirius…I presume Dumbledore…?"

"…he has been informed." Snape finished.

She placed her half-finished tea down on the table next to the book and turned to leave.

"Oh; and Severus?" she said conversationally, turning back to watch his expression as she spoke, "Next time you try and give me a Draught of Peace in order to lower my defences so you can enter my mind and pull out information at will…don't ruin a good cup of Earl Grey in the attempt. I'm trained in the art of detecting and overcoming even the most complex of potions. So you see I'll never fall for it. You taught me too well for that."

She knew he was not surprised she hadn't fallen for his deception. In fact from the way he was looking at her she almost felt as though it had all been a test – though whether she had passed or not she couldn't say.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Sirius,<em>

_Harry almost killed Draco Malfoy today. Talk to him – and don't you dare tell him he's a hero or I'll string you up for your damn Owl to nibble on. _

_Ana._


	28. The Funeral

"Almost Neville!"

Ana felt there was little left to say as she watched Neville get hit by the fifth body binding curse in a row after, once again, failing to properly deflect said curse. She felt that he was getting better…however unfortunately Neville's version of better was other people's starting point.

Ana had been unsure about restarting the Duelling Club. She felt her footing with her father was on a very steep slope to say the least; and that instability made her want to keep her distance as much as possible. What was more; she was sure Snape suspected their connection. If not her parentage he at least suspected she was attached to him in some fundamental way in her own time. It was only a matter of time before he pulled all the pieces of the puzzle together and, even knowing him as she did, she could not say what his reaction would be on the day he did realise the truth.

Sirius wrote often but she missed him. More than she told anyone, more than she would ever admit. Winter had given way to spring and now they were on the cusp of summer. Since the incident in the boy's bathroom (Draco Malfoy was still bedridden and recovering slowly but surely from his attack) little of note had happened within the castle; Filch had continued to be bamboozled by students, McGonagall had continued to be her usual stern self, Snape had swept around in his customary air of doom and gloom and Dumbledore…well he had been spending time away from the castle. Why she could not tell; and tentative enquiries within the Order told her they were as ignorant of his actions as she, but no one could keep a secret long from Ana Harte. She was too good at seeing through people for that.

Harry was back to himself. After spending a short amount of time severely shaken after almost killing Malfoy he had bounced back; between her support and Sirius' encouragement he had found his guilt, though not entirely lifted, lessened. His suspicions about Malfoy had not been mentioned again – yet Ana was sure that was more because he knew no one believed him as opposed to because of said suspicions going away.

As she watched Harry throw a perfect Stunning Spell which sent Ron flat out and into a magic induced state of unconsciousness she wondered when he had become a man…for she knew that at some point in the last year that had happened. He seemed stronger, more independent, and that both comforted and worried her. For although he would need a strong sense of maturity for what they would all be facing in the coming days she was loathe to think of that independence meaning he withdrew into himself. He needed people around him; whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Mr Finnegan; perhaps a little more finesse and a little less chatter would cure you of your incompetence? Something to contemplate – if you find your mind spacious enough for such an act."

The smooth voice of Snape over at the other side of the Hall broke through her thoughts. No matter how far apart they were if Snape was in earshot she could always hear him. She was sure his put downs were only improving as the year went on.

The chiming of the grandfather clock at the far end of the room, brought in especially for the Duelling Club and warded against any accidental spell damage by Snape himself, told her it was the end of another session. The progress in many of the students was visible; she thought that even the high and mighty Slytherins had begun to enjoy Duelling Club. Though proximity had not, she feared, made any one of the students less fearful of Snape's barbed tongue.

"Miss Harte?"

Ana looked down to see a tiny first year standing very close, looking up with large brown eyes and a slightly awed expression.

"Yes?" she asked; at a loss for what else to ask. All the Duelling Club members, sixth year that evening, were filing out of the Hall as Snape watched on with a curled lip, and so she had to bend down slightly to hear the quiet, high-pitched tone of the very, very small girl.

"Professor Hagrid sent me to fetch you."

Was she ever that small? She couldn't have been. No one could possibly be that…

"Hagrid?" she asked dumbly, "Why, what is it, has something…?"

"I don't know Miss," the girl interrupted with a slight blush, "He just said to ask you to come quick…"

Ana nodded and immediately turned to leave; her mind running through a thousand reasons for why Hagrid would want her back at the cabin when he knew she was due back from Duelling Club any time now. However at the last moment she turned; took in the tie colour of the doll like creature – Hufflepuff – and threw back lightly,

"Thank you; ten points to Hufflepuff."

The girl looked as though she were about to explode with pride.

Ana swept past Snape with a tight smile, which he of course did not return, and raced through the front doors and across the grounds at a sprinting pace. If something had happened to Hagrid and she didn't get there in time she would never forgive herself.

* * *

><p>"He were a good 'un – he were, a friend, fer all he were a spider…"<p>

Ana gave him what she hoped was a compassionate look as she peered down with him at the body of the giant Acromantula. He had a tablecloth in hand; a makeshift handkerchief she had hastily pulled from a table in the cabin when Hagrid had, once again, begun to weep.

"Thanks fer comin' so quick- I know yer had yer club an' all…"

"We had just finished when I got your message," Ana offered, "I'm so sorry Hagrid."

"Aye well; all things mus' come t' their end."

She nodded in agreement.

Voices coming from somewhere off behind them caused Ana to turn…only to see Harry marching towards them with a very unsettling grin on his face – followed some paces behind by an out of breath Horace Slughorn.

"Horace," Hagrid greeted the Professor like his appearance was completely within the realms of normalcy, "Harry."

Ana tilted her head to Harry, asking silently for an explanation, but he merely widened his grin and turned his attention to the Acromantula.

"Merlin's beard…" Slughorn breathed, "Is that an actual Acromantula?"

"A dead one I think Sir," Harry added in what he probably thought was a highly useful manner. Ana sidled closer to the boy and turned him to face her. Overly bright eyes, flushed complexion, giant grin, nervous energy, endless optimism…she sighed.

"What the bloody hell have you been up to now?" she whispered as Slughorn questioned Hagrid about the spider.

"I've got a plan," he confided in a mock whisper, "Felix knows what to do…"

"I thought so; but why on Earth are you high on Felix Felicis?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Mission from Dumbledore," he murmured, still grinning, "Need to get something."

Ana rolled her eyes. Of course Dumbledore was behind it. She shrugged.

"Alright; what are you after…?"

Harry shook his head.

"It's a secret!" he exclaimed, before quietening his tone when Fang whined at his sudden loudness, "I can't tell anyone but I know I'll get it before the end of the night."

Ana did the only thing she could do. She nodded as though she understood what he was going on about and resolved to leave him to it – unless it looked as though he were about to get himself into some form of mortal danger; in which case she would have to step in.

"…would you mind if I extract a vile of two? Purely for academic purposes you understand!"

Ana suppressed a laugh. Only Slughorn could turn a dead, giant spider to his own advantage.

"Well I don't suppose it's going to do him much good now is it?" asked Hagrid, his voice shaking as another swell of tears threatened to render him speechless. Ana patted the half giant on the elbow and lifted up the tablecloth, which was hanging limply from his hand, so he could wipe away the tears.

"I wish yer could've seen 'im in 'is prime," Hagrid announced as he swiped away tears, "Magnificent he was – jus' magnificent!"

"Would you like me to say a few words?" asked Slughorn once he had clamoured back up the bank and was standing with them once again; phials of Acromantula venom safely stored in his cloak pocket.

"Yes…" whimpered Hagrid. She took his arm and rested her had against it as a show of support. His other arm reached across so a large hand could pat her own; which were resting in the crook of his elbow.

"He had a family I trust?" Slughorn asked.

"Oh yeah…" Harry said; sounding very spaced out. She wondered what Sirius would say if he saw his Godson now. He'd probably ask for some Felicis himself.

"Farewell…" Slughorn began.

"…Aragog…" Hagrid interjected with a barely suppressed sob.

"Farewell – Aragog," Slughorn began again, "King of the Arachnids," Hagrid let out a wail and Ana once again provided the tablecloth as she murmured sounds of comfort. Slughorn continued, "Your body will decay but your spirit lingers on…"

Fang let out a long, low whine as Ana marvelled that Hagrid could ever have loved something so hideous as Aragog. Then again she was prejudiced; an Acromantula had tried to bite her head off once. She had, of course, returned the favour in the form of a severing charm; with far more success. Probably best not to tell Hagrid that though.

* * *

><p>Somewhere between the fifth rendition of Odo the Hero and the umpteenth glass of whatever they were drinking Ana realised Harry was performing an endless refilling charm on the alcohol. She also realised, around the same time, that the significant looks he had been giving her for quite some time were in actual fact signals as opposed to side effects to the Felix Felicis. He wanted her to leave.<p>

"I think I'll turn in," she announced, laying down her cup, which had been filled with tea instead of anything intoxicating, and turned to Harry, "You'll be alright getting back to the castle? If not just stay here – Hagrid will be alright with that won't you…?"

She looked over to see that Hagrid had fallen asleep sitting up.

"Well I'm alright with that. You can keep Horace company."

She patted Harry's hand, receiving another wide grin in response, and headed over to the door which led through to her half of the cabin.

"Goodnight Horace!" she called back as she went through into her own quarters.

"Goodnight my dear! Happy dreams and pleasant…oh no, that's not right…"

She left him to his muttering.

She loosened her hair from the bun which had settled at the nape of neck and stripped away her dress, unpinning the bodice and letting it fall as she breathed in and out deeply. Her tattoos were visible in the half light of the lamps, dark markings traced across her skin. She quickly pulled a nightshirt over her form, hiding it from her own eyes, as she sat down on her bed and looked towards the door leading to Hagrid's half of the cabin. She knew that Harry had orders from Dumbledore and that to interfere would help no one. She knew he was not a child anymore; that he knew what he was doing. Yet she still crept over to the doorway and laid her head against the wood; listening to the quiet bur of voices on the other side.

"…because she sacrificed herself," she heard Harry say faintly in a voice which sounded considerably more grounded than he had been all night, "Because she refused to step aside…"

It was obvious they were talking about Lily Potter. Ana closed her eyes as she heard Lily's son continue,

"…because her love was more powerful than Voldemort…"

"Don't say his name!" Slughorn exclaimed.

"I'm not afraid of the name Professor!" Harry interjected, "I'm going to tell you something. Something others have only guessed at. It's true; I am the Chosen One. Only I can destroy him…but in order to do so I need to know what Tom Riddle asked you all those years ago in your office and I need to know what you told him!"

Ana held herself back. She knew that if it were knowledge Harry needed she could go in there now and rip it out of Slughorn's mind without him being any the wiser. She could have the thing he needed, the thing Dumbledore needed, in a moment. But she also knew that Dumbledore was aware of that. There had to be a reason he had asked Harry to get the information. Ana was many things but she was no fool; she trusted Dumbledore.

"Be brave Professor!" Harry urged, "Be brave like my mother. Otherwise…you disgrace her. Otherwise she died for nothing. Otherwise the bowl will remain empty…forever."

There was a long silence and Ana held her breath as she waited for Slughorn's response. Finally it came; not in the pompous tones she was used to from Slughorn but in the voice of an old man – weak and shaking.

"Please don't think badly of me when you see it," he murmured, "You have no idea what he was like – even then."

Another pause before she heard Harry murmur; so quietly she could barely hear his words,

"Thank you, Professor."

Ana moved away from the door and over to her bed where she once again sat down; thinking over what she had heard. Whatever Dumbledore needed it had to be important; something to do with defeating Voldemort. Though what it was she could not say; in her world there had been no talk of defeating Voldemort – there had just been talk of surviving.

"Sirius," she whispered, "You would have been so proud of him tonight."

She wasn't sure whether she was talking to the former Sirius, lost to her, or the one she now knew. Either, she was sure, would agree with her sentiment. For the first time since she had come to the new land she now lived in Ana truly saw why Harry Potter was so important. She was proud to have given up her reality for him.

* * *

><p>It was a week later, exactly a week, that Dumbledore came to the cabin.<p>

She knew it was to see her; Dumbledore had to be aware that Hagrid was away that weekend; gone to see Madame Maxime, the grounds-keeper had confided, a woman in his eyes without comparison.

"Headmaster," she stepped aside to let him in and, without asking, fetched him a glass of the malt whiskey which was kept in a dusty cupboard for just such an occasion. Hagrid didn't drink the stuff, preferring mead, and she herself wouldn't touch it – but Hagrid kept a bottle in just in case Dumbledore were to call by.

"Thank you, Ana," he smiled as she handed him the glass, taking a small sip before sitting in the fireside seat she indicated was for him. For long moment he said nothing as she seated herself opposite him and waited. The crackling of the fire was the only sound, penetrating the peaceful quiet, as she surveyed him steadily; and he her.

"It is time we talked, I think," he finally said in his slightly lilting voice, "Of things which should no doubt have been said long ago."

She said nothing.

"You have been a gift, Ana, though at first I could not quite see it."

"I take it you are not talking about my skills in grounds-keeping?" she asked wryly.

"No indeed; although they are impressive," he answered drolly, "No I speak of the way you have helped a great many people. Sirius for one would not be who he is today without you. Remus would perhaps be dead; Harry less sure of himself and Draco Malfoy more so…which believe me is not something I would hope for…"

She tilted her head as she listened. Somehow she was sure there was more to this meeting than his telling her about how wonderful she was.

"…and finally Professor Snape – oh yes; I have noticed," he added as she started, despite herself. "You have forged a form of relationship with him, despite his…unwillingness shall we say, to associate with any living being outside of that which is necessary."

Ana couldn't help but smile at that.

"But what I should like to know, at this moment more than anything in fact, is why you have not yet told him that he is your father?"

Ana didn't react, not this time. From his first mention of Snape she had known, instinctually known, that Dumbledore was aware of their connection. The only question was whether or not he would bring it up between them. Of course, she thought fleetingly, he would have to. Dumbledore wasn't one for leaving things where they lay.

"There's no point in the act," she replied, not trying to deny his claim concerning her parentage, "He doesn't need to know and I don't need him to have any knowledge of our connection. It will do nothing but harm, I think."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed, nodding sagely and taking another sip of his drink, "In that I think you very wise. Best not add any more difficulties to an already difficult situation?"

She nodded, meeting those piercing blue eyes, before he added,

"These are difficult times. I know of your prowess; both in Duelling and in other areas…your support has been invaluable to the Order. I should hope for that to continue – no matter what might happen in the coming days and weeks."

Ana frowned before replying slowly.

"Albus…if I didn't know better I would say you were briefing me. Are you planning on going somewhere? Somewhere for longer than you already have been I mean."

He laughed.

"I should have guessed you would have noticed!" he exclaimed with something close to glee at her discovery, "Very good – yes I am, as a matter of fact, Ana, leaving. I should be gone quite some time. Indefinitely, I should think, if you understand my meaning?"

She nodded, albeit with confusion and disbelief in her expression, and asked,

"But…how? Why?"

"Ah my dear…not all things can be known and seen. For example my hand; you have not noticed this whole year – I wonder why that would be..."

He raised his right hand which, she noticed with shock for the first time, seemed to be burned and blackened to an almost skeletal thing.

"What on Earth…how did that happen? When did that happen?"

"Over the summer, Ana, after the Department of Mysteries…"

She shook her head.

"I would have noticed…"

"Not if I didn't want you to; I'm sorry, Ana, but you above all people could not have known until now that I was the subject of this curse. It was not easy, shielding the damage from you – such a curse is not made to be shielded, but it was necessary. Not least because you know the effects…"

Her mind strayed to a cursed ring, her mother's body…

"It's fatal…" she whispered, "So how…?"

"Severus contained the curse in one hand but it will not hold. Which is why, Ana, I say my goodbyes now. Because soon my time will be done and I shall not then have the chance to speak them."

His riddles always annoyed her but now more than ever.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said evenly, "But there are ways Albus, ways to extend your life, ways to stop…"

"Dear child I have lived a long life already. I have been given more years than I care to think of. It is my time, I think, though I am not perhaps ready. Yet I am willing. You must, though I think I do not need to say it, say nothing of this to anyone else. It is a secret which must be kept at all costs. You understand Ana? Only you and Severus know now and it must remain that way."

The intensity in his voice belied his concern for her silence. She knew, as well as any, that if Voldemort or any of his followers were to know Albus Dumbledore was close to death then the Order would be weakened – perhaps beyond repair.

"I understand," she answered obediently.

"Excellent," he placed his drained glass on the table top and made to stand.

"Albus – why are you telling me all of this? Why me and not Remus or Sirius or…"

He reached over and took one of her hands with his good one.

"Because you have known what is to come," he said, his voice serious, "You know what they will be facing and I need you, above all other, to be there when it all begins. They knew the first war but this one…I fear this will eclipse even that. When I am gone there will be unsurety – you must give them assurance. Above all things help Harry, protect Harry. And it would not hurt to give Mr Malfoy some of your attentions. I fear his friends have not proved as loyal as he would have liked during his prolonged period of convalescence…"

"Albus…" she whispered, tears coming to her eyes unbidden.

"Now; no tears. Death is but a well-earned rest for one who has lived as long as I. You will do as I ask, Ana? You will protect them? I promise to you everything will soon be clear but for now my word will have to suffice. I hope I can depend on you to follow my final instructions to you?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand, feeling the pressure returned.

"I must be going; to be seen wondering around the grounds in the dark will fuel the rumours of my marbles being well and truly lost."

She smiled tremulously as he moved towards the door.

"Trust yourself, Ana – that would be my advice. Trust yourself."

Then he was gone; lost to the inky night, and she was alone in the cabin with her thoughts. The idea that Albus could die was almost unthinkable; except that it was going to happen. That shook her more than anything she had seen or done – the idea of a world without Albus Dumbledore was one she could hardly comprehend. Yet he had trusted her with a secret so large…unconsciously she set her shoulders as she shut the cabin door and walked back over to her seat by the fire.

It had been a long time since she had been given a mission. The whys and wherefores of what was to come were uncertain; Albus had, she was sure, given her only a small part of the story. However now she was positive that nothing on Earth would prevent her from carrying out Dumbledore's final wish of her. She would protect them, all of them, with her life…and if that was the price to be paid for their survival?

"So be it." she whispered to the flames.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the delay - real life has been demanding of late. Not long until book six climax - expect it within the next week! All things come to a close...**


	29. The Storm

The castle was very quiet. The sound of her boots thumping against the floor as she walked caused a few portraits, still awake despite the late hour, to stir slightly and peer at her through the gloom. She was carrying a lantern as she could not use her wand to illuminate her way. She had crept through the castle doors, long shut but easily opened if one knew the correct spell, just after eleven. It had been the only way she could be sure she wouldn't be seen as she made her way to the hospital wing.

It had been three days since Dumbledore had come to see her. The word was that Draco Malfoy was all but ready to be removed from the hospital wing and return to normal school life. Therefore she knew this was her last chance to talk to him; to try and get through to him.

At the hospital wing doors she gently slipped through, looking around and seeing that the gap beneath the door to Poppy Pomfrey's room; just off the wing itself, was dark – so the healer was almost certainly asleep. After placing her lantern on a nearby table she prowled through the wing, glancing over to see that a bed close to the doors was occupied by a second year, Rowle she thought his name was, lying in a fitful slumber with a leg propped up and a mass of boils across his face. Another day another prank, she thought wryly. However Ana did not linger – she knew exactly where she was headed.

At the far end of the wing there was a bed with the curtains drawn around it. There was no light coming from within and the sound of steady breathing told her Draco was probably asleep. She slipped through the parting in the curtains and looked at the boy in the bed. His pale blonde hair was spread messily across his forehead, skin which was as pale as his hair making him look like some kind of marble statue. He wore blue striped pyjamas and, at the bottom of the bed, his blanket had ridden up to reveal two alabaster feet. She took the wooden seat at his bedside and waited.

For a few minutes nothing happened. Then, stirring slightly, Malfoy rolled over onto his side; so that he was facing her. He muttered something, a half word as he twitched in sleep, and she took that opportunity to call out gently,

"Draco?"

He twitched again, shifting beneath the covers, before blearily opening one eye. She had been able to tell by the lack of movement beneath his closed eyelids that he was not in a deep sleep. It was confirmed as his other eyelid snapped open and he started to see her sitting at his bedside.

"Shh," she murmured before he could say anything, "It's late and I'm probably not supposed to be here so you'd be doing us both a favour if you didn't make a sound."

She saw his still sleepy eyes focus as he ran a hand through his mussed hair and shifted into a sitting position on his bed. There was no stiffness in his movements; he was indeed recovered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"I came to see you," she breathed in reply, her tone mild. "Thought you could do with some company."

"In the middle of the night?" he asked, "And why would I want to see you anyway?"

She noted his second question seemed forced, as did the sneer which accompanied it. That alone gave her the hope she needed to continue.

"From what I hear you've not exactly been inundated with visitors. Slytherin loyalty not what it used to be?"

"You don't know anything about my house," he replied in a furious growl, "You're just a dirty…"

"Now, now Mr Malfoy. We wouldn't want to say something we might regret – would we?"

He stared at her with hard eyes as she surveyed him with a neutral expression. Wordlessly she cast a charm around the bed so that outsiders wouldn't be able to hear them. She didn't want Madam Pomfrey or little Rowle to come across this particular conversation.

"What do you want?" he asked, settling back against his pillows and affecting disinterest.

"As I said – I thought you could do with some conversation. It appears I was right – you're turned rather gauche during your convalescence. Loneliness will do that to a person."

He said nothing and so she continued.

"Did you know my father was of Slytherin House?"

This caught his attention, his head turned sharply as he surveyed her with suspicion.

"Oh I know, hard to believe, a Slytherin siring a Squib…but he did. He was a staunch Slytherin, had all the traits, he was ambitious and selfish and ruthless...he was also one of the finest men I have ever known. He was a hero in my eyes – always will be."

Draco kept up his silence; simply watching as she spoke.

"I wasn't what he expected from a daughter. My mother was a witch but she wasn't exceptional like he was. She was very ordinary and yet I still loved her. He didn't. It was a marriage of convenience. They were unlike one another in every way. But she too was a Slytherin so perhaps that was the connection – the one bond of unity. And of course there was me – the rope between boat and harbour."

"If you're going to tell me your life story you can…" Draco began coldly; his curled lip reminiscent of Snape so much she had to suppress a smile.

"It's relevant, Draco, if you'll but be patient. So…my mother and father were both of Slytherin house and they produced me. They still loved me, let me make that plain, they weren't demonstrative about the fact but they did love me all the same. A lot was expected of me. And now here I am."

She smiled at Draco who had dropped his look of contempt, who was watching her now with what could almost be called interest.

"We make decisions in our lives, Draco, not our parents. We chose the path we shall take – no other. And it is our own actions which define our lives. I could have followed my parents but I didn't. I became my own person and I am glad for it. But you should remember that no matter what there is always a choice for you – you can always turn back if you wish it."

For a moment they were both very silent and she saw, for the barest second, a look of hope on Draco's face. For a moment it was almost as though he believed her. Then it was gone, closed off, replaced by the sneering disbelief.

"You're telling me to be a Gryffindor? Be good, be weak, be nothing? I'm not ashamed of my parents, I don't need to be – I'm nothing like you."

"No, I think you are very much like me in some ways. But I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm just informing you that you have a choice. And if the day comes when you must make that choice you can look to me Draco. You can come to me and I will help you. I will protect you. I swear it."

His jaw was stiff, a tick fully developed as the muscles clenched and unclenched, and his eyes searching; as though looking for some hidden meaning.

"You couldn't protect me," he answered finally, "Not from Him."

She smiled faintly.

"Believe me there are a great many things that I can do. Things you can't even begin to imagine. I've done terrible things, Draco, really terrible things. You'd never sleep again if you had my memories. But trust me when I say this; if you choose to change paths, if you choose another way – I will stand with you until the end. We are not all, after all, divided into good people and Death Eaters."

He started at that and made to say something only for her to interrupt.

"Oh I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just using it as an example, you see? The world isn't black and white, hasn't been for a long time, and if you change paths…" she sighed and stood, stretching her stiff back as she did so, "You can choose to stand back and do nothing; if you wish it."

She offered a smile before adding,

"Goodnight, Draco."

However as she made to turn he murmured, so quietly she barely caught the words,

"It's too late now."

She tilted her head and paused, her back still to him.

"It's never too late. Remember what I've said. Look to me. I won't forget my promise."

She left the hospital wing with a considerably lighter heart. For although she was now certain that Draco Malfoy was indeed a Death Eater she also knew that she had planted a seed that night. She had no need to stay within the hospital wing to know that the boy got no sleep. She knew he would spend the night, and the days to come, mulling over her words. Ana could only hope that they would make some impact. If she could save him, she thought, then perhaps in some way Albus would not die in vain. If she could just save that one boy from darkness then perhaps all she had lost would be worthwhile.

Because she had long ago learned that even the preservation of one life, especially when fighting a war like theirs, was important. She was one step closer to cleansing her sins.

* * *

><p><em>…things are well here. Harry is fine, though if he seems a little preoccupied I wouldn't judge him for it. Rumours about the Chosen One are only getting more virulent recently. I think even the students know that whatever is coming is almost here. I've been reading the Prophet religiously each day. More disappearances than ever – and I'll bet that's just the surface of it all. It won't be long until you can't trust the Prophet anymore. Hermione recommended I start reading The Quibbler – a magazine one of her friend's father runs. It's bonkers but there's more truth hidden in the madness then I can find in the Prophet. Might be worth you start reading it too…<em>

She put down her quill, replacing it in the ink pot, and looked up from her parchment to see the room almost completely enveloped in a dusk-like darkness. She frowned as she rose from the table, leaving the letter she had been writing to Sirius on the desk, and called out,

"Hagrid? Can you bring a lantern in here?"

She heard shuffling from the other room and a clanging before the door separating her room and Hagrid's opened and revealed the grounds-keeper; lit lantern in hand.

"Thanks," she gratefully took the glowing lamp and held it up as she looped it over a hook above the table she had been working at. Hagrid had placed the hook there some time ago as she had a tendency to write during the night when she couldn't sleep; letters to Sirius mostly but also missives to Remus or Tonks and sometimes notes to Mrs Weasley about inconsequential things…anything to keep her mind of the nightmares which brought her away from sleep.

"What time is it? I must have been at this for hours," she murmured as she retook her seat and twirled her quill as she wondered what to write next.

"Now there's a funny thing," Hagrid answered, looking out the small window and peering back at the grandmother clock in his half of the cabin as if he assure himself what he saw was real, "It's not gone ha' past four."

Ana frowned and once again laid down her quill. Sunset was coming at seven or eight o'clock recently; depending on rain. For it to be almost night time at half past four in the evening was…

"S' odd." Hagrid finished her thought for her. "Wha' d'yer think?"

She rose once again and walked over to the window, peering out at the sky. There were dark clouds, so dark they were almost pitch, rolling through the air; dampening out what few rays of light remained. The occasional flash indicated lightening and, sure enough, she could now hear the faint rumblings of thunder far off.

"It's the shape of things to come…" she whispered. She turned to look at Hagrid, who was watching her with anxiety plain on his face, and added, "I'm going to go to the castle. Dumbledore isn't here but Minerva or Severus…someone has to know what this is because, by Merlin's beard Hagrid, I certainly don't."

"A'right," Hagrid nodded his assent.

"Will you be alright staying here? You can come with me if…?"

"Nah," he replied, "I'll stay an' keep Fang company."

She nodded and patted him on the arm before passing him by and exiting the cabin. As she shut the door behind her she felt the wind whipping at the skirts of her dress, causing the black material to swirl around her as she strode for the castle. Her bodice, a red and black creation she had transfigured herself, was tight as she raced for the safety of Hogwarts. Her hair was already half out of the bun she habitually wore whilst at school and loose strands were dancing around her face.

When she reached the castle she entered through the courtyard, only to find many students of all different houses gathered there looking up at the blackened, cloud filled sky. Even they, so young, understood that something was afoot.

"Go to your common rooms," she called to them, their eyes veering to her as she spoke. There was a pause, whilst many seemed ready to defy her instruction, before finally one by one they began to move away. A voice at her side caused her to see a third year boy, Slytherin from the tie, looking up at her with concern plain on his face.

"What is it Miss?" he asked, with more respect than the Slytherins usually paid her. It just made it all the more obvious that fear had begun to work its way into Hogwarts.

"Just a summer storm, nothing to worry about," she smiled in what she hoped was a convincing fashion and ruffled the boy's longish brown hair, "Now back to your common room before you catch your death."

He nodded and gave her a tight smile but she could tell her words had done nothing to reassure him.

"Back to your houses – no dawdling!" the broad tones of a Scottish voice from somewhere further down called out. Ana peered through the gloom to see, in the next courtyard, Minerva Mcgonagall underneath the stone canopy calling out to a group of students similar to the ones she had just ordered inside.

Ana made her way down to the Professor. The students had milled away under the stern gaze of their Deputy Headmistress however she still remained; looking up at the sky.

"Minerva?" she asked, coming to stand before the other woman.

"What is this?" the Professor asked, looking at Ana with such fragility Ana herself felt the trepidation rolling off her in waves.

"I don't know," Ana answered, "I haven't seen anything like it since…" she stopped and she knew from Minerva's silence that the older woman understood. Ana had seen nothing like it since the other time; the dark days of her first reality.

"He's still not back?" Ana asked.

"No," Minerva answered, knowing Ana could mean no one other than Dumbledore, "He is still not returned and I do not know where he might be found."

"I'll go and find Severus," Ana decided, shifting, "Are you going to…?"

"I shall make a sweep of the grounds and castle – ensure all the children are safely inside."

Ana nodded her agreement and made to leave; only for Minerva to add.

"Do you think the time has come? You think he will finally come into the open?"

Ana looked back, unsure as to what to say.

"I think it is closer than ever," she answered carefully, "I think…we must be ready."

Minerva nodded and the steel which entered the Professor's gaze gave Ana heart. There was a woman who would not go down without a fight.

* * *

><p>It took her a long time to find Severus. She went to his office, his quarters, his classroom; scoured the entire dungeons…but it was in an empty classroom – one with large windows looking out across Hogwarts, on the fifth floor that she finally found him.<p>

"Severus?" she murmured, coming forwards so that she stood at his side. She knew something was wrong; the way he remained looking out, as though transfixed by the stormy sky, told her that. Usually he would throw in some disdainful remark, turn to sneer at her or even perhaps just stalk away without a word. Now she could see only pain in his features; pain like she hadn't seen for so very long; laid open in a way she had never known in this world.

"I haven't seen that look on your face since I was twenty years old." she said, looking away and following his eye line out across the grounds. Far away, in the distance, she could see smoke whirling from the hut; faintly circling before being swept away by the wind. "Four years now…but it seems a lifetime to me."

"Is that so?" he asked, his deep voice tight with suppressed emotion.

"Yes," she answered plainly, "It was just before I was to go on a really important mission. We were going to try and break some people out of Malfoy Manor; though it didn't belong to the Malfoy's by that time. It was His alone; his base. He preferred it to the Ministry. I can understand why. It was the peace; the peace to do whatever he wanted…to whomever he wanted."

She paused and looked at her father from the corner of her eye; his body was stiff.

"You couldn't go, obviously, or they'd have known you were with us. But you pulled me aside, just before we went in, and you said to me that I must remember all you taught me. Remember the ruthlessness of the Death Eaters and that death waited for everyone; even those on the side of the light."

"Hell is empty…" he whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"…and all the devils are here." she finished.

He looked at her then and she met his black gaze with her own. She saw his expression soften, just for a moment, before it became hard once again.

"You know Shakespeare." he stated.

"You made sure I would – you insisted I should be cultured if I were to dwell amongst the dunderheads of Grimmauld Place."

She could have sworn his lip twitched, just slightly, and she allowed herself a small smile before adding quietly,

"Dumbledore told me; about his hand and what it means."

He turned to look at her sharply then; his piercing gaze telling her that there was indeed more to what Dumbledore had said then she could have begun to guess.

"I don't know everything but I do know this; maybe today, or tomorrow, or in a week or a month…sometime soon you are going to do something both incredibly brave and incredibly stupid because Albus has told you to do so. I know him; he asks too much of everyone but most of all of himself. But you feel indebted to him and so you will follow where he leads – you will do his bidding to the last. And when that day comes, no matter what, I will not turn away from you. I've had enough of people turning away from what is right in order to take the path which is easy. I won't do it. I trust you, Severus Snape. You're a good man, though you'd rather die than admit it…and who knows? Perhaps before this is all over you'll have the chance to do just that. And when this is all over I will tell you everything. I will tell you such stories…" she paused and allowed a smile to break through, "Even you will laugh to hear them; even you will cry…when it's all over. For better or for worse."

She could see he wanted to say something but also that there was something holding him back. She wanted so much to hug him, to tell him it would be alright, to tell him that for all his sternness and stiffness and unpleasantness she loved him because he was the only parent she had ever truly had or ever needed. But she knew he wouldn't appreciate any of it and so instead she nodded to him, just a brief inclination of the head, just to let him know that she was there…that she wouldn't turn her back; not on him – not ever.

His own head bowed infinitesimally in reply before he turned and left the classroom. She watched him go and when the corner of his robes had flitted around the doorway, when his footsteps could no longer be heard on the stone floor outside; when she was sure he was far away from her in every sense, she looked back to the window. A deep rumble of thunder, louder than any she had heard thus far, followed a flash of jagged lightening which seemed to split the very sky in two.

The storm was come.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: "Hell is empty, and all the devils are here." is a quote from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Next chapter we shall reach HBP finale. The beginning of the end...**


	30. Hell is Empty

It all began that very evening. Or perhaps ended would be a better way of putting things. It all ended that night. When darkness fell all things came to a close.

She had returned to the grounds and yet something in her didn't want to go back to the cabin. It was too small, too warm and comfortable and normal for her such a time. Ana could feel the darkness coming almost as surely as she could see the blackened sky. So instead she patrolled the grounds, her wand out in plain sight. There were no students outside. Even the most daring of rule breakers didn't have the heart to be out on such a night. Once she had ensured the perimeter was secured, twice, at a loss as to what else she could possibly do she began the long trudge back to the castle.

Lights filled every window, hundreds of candles lit; guiding her home. For a moment she stopped, looking up at Hogwarts, wondering how long the peace she had found at the old school would last. It was then that she saw the red flash in the Astronomy Tower. She took in a sharp breath, the unseasonal cold chafing her lungs as she did so, her eyes sharpening as she could see there; barely illuminated in the darkness, a figure moving.

Ana began to run.

She ran as fast as she could; her feet pounding against the grass, until she reached the point at which she knew she would be able to dissemble her form. Falling into a pool of black mist some few hundred yards from the castle walls she raced upwards, higher and higher, her entire being screaming as she forced herself beyond endurance. She felt her strength wane well before the top; finally running out on a much lower level of the tower, and slipped through an arrow-slit window in order to reform her body. As soon as she was once again corporeal she staggered against the wall; her fingers digging into unyielding stone as she dragged in deep breaths. Looking up she could see, through the slats of the long, winding staircase, a figure three flights above her. Harry; she was sure it was Harry, the dark hair and glint of glasses gave her suspicion enough proof to be sure. However he hadn't noticed her; he was looking up as well; up above him to the very top of the tower where voices were sounding.

"Severus…" she heard Dumbledore say; his tone soft and yet strong all at once.

"No…" she breathed; her mind patching together the pieces even as she found herself frozen in place as she waited for the thing which was going to happen to come to pass. How could Dumbledore do this? How could he ask such a thing..?

"…please." Albus finished. There was such calmness in his voice, such peace…

"Avada Kedavra."

Her father's voice shook her from her stupor; his words immediately followed by a green flash so bright her vision was momentarily blinded by it.

"No…" she blurted out, "No, no, NO!" she flung herself towards the window she had just darted through just in time to see Albus' body flash past the place she stood; within a few short seconds it was lost in the inky blackness; heading down, down, down…

She didn't even realise she had dissembled her body until she was propelling upwards, previous exhaustion forgotten, slipping through cracks and gaps, passing Harry by so quickly the boy staggered – obviously still in shock as to what he had witnessed, only to come to full form in the centre of the highest level of the Astronomy Tower. She only saw the most fleeting glimpse of Snape, Draco Malfoy before him, before she was inundated by curses.

It took little effort to erect a shield, causing everything headed towards her to ricochet back towards the caster. She threw curse after curse as Death Eaters dodged and deflected her every attempt to stop them; racing off down the stairs of the tower. She caught one, set him spinning into a wall where he crumpled and moved no more, but the others were gone quickly – one moment running around trying very hard to kill her and the next leaving her alone in the tower.

For a moment Ana considered going straight after them; their footsteps could still be heard below, and then her mind caught up with her actions. The Order needed to be informed. She raced over to the edge of the tower and thrust her wand forwards; sending a spray of silvery light streaming through the inky air. It quickly took form, into the shape of a great shaggy dog, and pelted off into the blackness. It would reach Grimmauld Place within minutes. Her eyes drifted downwards; to where she knew Albus' body lay. Minutes may be too late.

A thundering crash threw her from whatever strange reverie she had fallen into. Now was no time for shock. She needed to focus. She needed to forget Albus was dead, that her father had killed him and that Draco Malfoy had let the Death Eaters into the castle even though she'd known there was the potential that he would…she needed to protect Hogwarts now. Protect the students…

Her eyes immediately found the level below her on the tower, searching the decking. Her heart sank as she realised that Harry was gone.

"Harry!" she yelled, running for the staircase and clattering down, two at a time, as she went. She knew flight was out of the question now; her body was already aching from the overuse. Her legs were almost unbearably sore as she ran, down and down, in swirling circles time and time again, until her head began to swim. Finally she reached the bottom of the staircase and fled down the passageways, running past babbling portraits and yelling at sleepy eyed children to get back to their common rooms. They obviously didn't know what danger had broken the defences of their beloved school. Hogwarts was no longer safe.

Ana reached the front doors in record time. There were two Aurors slumped there; she didn't know them and didn't have time to check if they were dead or not. A wordless spell caused the doors to swing open effortlessly; rocking on their aged hinges through the force of her casting. She paused once outside, desperately searching for any movement in the darkness. It was then that she heard the yell, so faint she probably would not have heard if she wasn't listening for it;

"SNAPE! HE TRUSTED YOU!"

"Oh blessed Merlin…" she breathed.

It was then that she saw a pillar of flames appear in the not so far off distance. She frowned, just for a moment, before a fear gripped her like no other as she realised just where the blazing column was coming from.

"HAGRID!" she screamed, running full pelt across the open grounds as she headed towards where she knew both the Death Eaters and Harry had to be. She stumbled more than once, hurriedly regaining her balance as she ran, her breath coming so hard it was painful, chest heaving as she clutched her wand tightly in her hand. She was almost there now, she could feel the heat coming from the cabin; even from such a distance the blazing building was warming the night for yards each way. Silhouetted in the darkness she could see a group of people moving away from the cabin – towards the gates, whilst another tall, robed figure and a smaller one in jeans and a hooded top remained. She saw the smaller throw a spell at the larger only for it to be deflected instantly.

"FIGHT BACK YOU COWARD! FIGHT BACK!"

A sudden jet of light came from somewhere to Snape's right – Bellatrix Lestrange. Ana hadn't seen the mad witch amongst the flame and her own latent panic. She saw Bellatrix's spell hit Harry, sending him flying backwards. Don't let him be dead, she thought as she increased her speed, please don't let him be dead…

"NO!" Snape roared, causing Bellatrix to take a step back, "He belongs to the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix hesitated before seemingly deciding there was more fun to be had elsewhere and dancing off into the night, singing some children's rhyme as she went in her terrifying, high pitched voice. Ana finally came within wand distance of Snape and Harry just as Bellatrix retreated from the light and disappeared entirely. Ana threw a shield up for Harry, running the last few steps forward and placing her body between his and Snape's.

She saw Severus' surprise at her being there. She heaved in deep breaths as she watched him levelly; her eyes boring into his in the flickering flames of what had been her sometime home. She clenched and unclenched her jaw as she wondered just what she could say – what words would tell Snape the things she needed to say without telling Harry she understood? For there could be but one reason why Harry Potter thought Albus had been murdered; because it was necessary for him to think so.

"What have you done?" the words fell from her before she had a chance to hold them back. To Harry, scrambling up from the ground behind her now but blocked from both her and Snape by her invisible shield, she knew it would sound as though she were accusing him. But it was not an accusation and the look in Snape's eyes said he knew that as well as she did. There was silence, except for the crackling flames, as she waited.

"What are you doing?" she heard Harry yell dimly behind her, "He killed Dumbledore! HE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!"

Ana's hand was shaking as she raised her wand. She would have to duel him; she had no other choice. If Harry saw her refusing to fight Snape her loyalty would be in question. If Snape refused to try and kill her then his would also be at risk…which was why Snape was now raising his own wand. She had never thought it would come to this; fighting her own father for doing nothing more than putting an old friend…

A flash of white light cut through her thoughts. She felt a great pressure on her right side and took a step back with a surprised grunt. Her eyes were still on Snape. He looked as surprised as she did. She suddenly felt cold, very cold, except for her side where everything felt very hot…her eyes fell to her stomach and a hand touched the right third. When she looked down at the hand the flames highlighted the dark red blood which coated it.

Her eyes went back up to Snape as she felt her legs give way. She took another step backwards and fell to her knees, her head beginning to swim. She could hear Bellatrix Lestrange laughing, chanting and laughing, and in the corner of her eye Ana could see the demented figure dancing around close by. She vaguely heard her father yell something; she could hear anger in his voice. Lestrange had gotten her – the mad bitch had never left after she'd attacked Harry. She waited in the darkness. And now she'd killed the daughter of Severus Snape. And the best part was she would never even know just whom she had murdered.

Ana's right hand pressed hard on the wound as her left propped her up. She was leaning on her left side heavily now, a cold sweat had broken out on her brow, and she fixed Snape's eyes with hers. He hesitated, looking at her with something inscrutable in his expression, and for a moment it looked as though he were going to take a step forwards, a step towards her…

She shook her head. The motion made her dizziness worse, robbed her of breath she couldn't afford to waste, as she sunk further back into the grass.

"Go," she mouthed, unable to make a sound even if she wanted to.

His expression slackened momentarily before he nodded, the same strong action he had given her when they had stood together that very afternoon and waited for the storm to come. Then he was gone, his robes swirling around him as he swept away into the black night. She never had told him she loved him. Now she never would. But she had given him what he had once before given her; she would die for him. That was at least some cold comfort.

The flames from Hagrid's cabin were burning hot and yet Ana had never felt so cold. She vaguely hoped that Hagrid was alright before the thought danced away again. She could hear, very faintly, Harry's voice; screaming, shouting out her name. She breathed the words which would release the shielding spell she had placed on him. Within seconds he was at her side.

"Ana?" he asked, his voice tremulous.

His head wavered before her eyes as he bent over her prone form. She forced herself to give him a half smile. Now the numbness which had accompanied her wound was fading; perhaps it had been shock, and the pain was coming in driving waves. She tensed and then immediately undid the act. Tensing her body would probably only make things worse.

"Harry…" she breathed, "Harry…get help."

She saw him nod before muttering something she didn't quite hear and disappearing from view. She allowed her head to fall back so that all she could see were the flames from the cabin in the corner of her eye and the stars above. At some point since Dumbledore had died the sky had cleared. The darkness was still there but through it she could see hundreds of thousands of tiny pinpricks of light; some of them so bright they broke through even the most persistent of gloom. Her mouth tasted coppery and she coughed as she felt liquid in her throat. Her time was running out.

"ANA!"

She heard the voice carrying out across the empty grounds, breaking through the haze which was threatening to swallow her up. She knew that voice; she would always know that voice…

A body flung itself into view, thudding into the grass at her side. His hair was like a wild black halo around his face, his skin was pale and those grey eyes shone like beacons.

"Sirius…" she whispered, smiling painfully as she struggled to speak.

"Oh shit, oh shit…Ana…Harry said you were hurt…I got your Patronus, I got here as soon as I could but…oh holy mother of Merlin…"

His eyes went down to where her hand, now almost completely red with her own blood, was pressed against her side. She was exerting less pressure than ever on the injury now; her grip was loosening as her strength left her.

"Here," he murmured, disappearing for a moment before she felt herself being shifted as strong hand pulled her up. She let out a whimper of pain at the movement but then there was warmth at her back as she felt his body beneath hers. Her head fell back to rest on his leg and she could now see his face above her own without having to shift at all. His hot hand covered her freezing one, pressing down on the wound for her, adding his strength to hers.

"The bloody healer was supposed to be coming, Remus sent a Patronus…" he turned his head back to look over his shoulder for a moment before looking back down at her. On her part her eyes never left his face; trying to fix every tiny feature into her memory so that she would never forget. She could feel tears gathering in her eyes as the world fazed in and out of focus.

"I'm glad…" she whispered haltingly, knowing that now was her last chance to say the things she needed to say to him, "…glad you…glad it's you here..." she coughed again, shifting with another whimper at the pain the movement brought, "…at the end."

"Don't talk like that you raging pessimist," he said in a voice which was entirely too bright, "The healer will be here in a minute and you'll be all fixed up. Harry said Bellatrix got you and she's mad as a box of Chocolate Frogs so I doubt there's all that much damage…"

His voice trailed off and she knew that they were both aware of the lie.

"Shh…" she whispered, using the hand which wasn't being pressed to her side to reach up slowly and shakily to touch his face for a moment, "Don't…don't be sad. It's alright."

"No it isn't, it fucking isn't," he replied as her hand fell back none too gently to her side. He caught it at the last moment and held it tightly in his own. She was glad. She didn't have the energy to keep it upright; no matter how much she wanted to, and to be able to have the comfort of holding his hand was something at least.

"You can't die Ana, you can't. I can't lose you as well – you hear?" he suddenly barked loudly, causing her to start and hiss in pain as the sudden movement jolted at her side, "YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!"

"Don't be…so bloody melo…melodramatic." she muttered with a breathless laugh, "It's just a long….just a long sleep."

She paused and looked up, feeling the tears which had threatened spilling from the corners of her eyes and flowing down into her hair. The pain was getting less again now and although she knew that wasn't good she was grateful. Everything numb was better than everything hurting.

"…glad I got to see…" she stopped as she coughed wetly again, "…to see you…one…one last…time."

Her words were beginning to slur as her vision dimmed. He was shaking, she was pretty sure it was him and not her, and the feeling of a raindrop falling on her face made her try and concentrate on the sky. Yet the stars were clear as ever above them. It wasn't raining. Another droplet landed, this one on her cupid's bow, and it ran down to her lips. It tasted salty. Like…tears.

"Don't cry…" she rasped; her throat was really dry, despite all the blood she knew was clogging up her throat – another cough relieved her for a moment but made everything go alarmingly dark for a moment, "…look at…at the stars. Aren'…aren' they…beau'iful?"

Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment and she forced them open again as she saw his silhouetted form look up. She couldn't make out his eyes anymore. Everything was blurred and she had no more strength for talking. So she looked up with him, searching the sky, looking out for the one thing her failing mind could always see…

* * *

><p>Sirius tightened his grip on her side. He wouldn't let her die. He couldn't. She was special, she was more special than anyone he had known – not since James had he felt so attached to anyone. Of course there was Remus and Harry and he loved them both but Ana Harte…there was something about her that was brighter than anything. He squeezed the hand that was enfolded in his own. It was deathly cold. No, he told himself, don't think that. She's strong, she'll be fine.<p>

He felt her blood seeping through his fingers as he looked up at the stars. A yell from behind dragged his eyes away, back to Earth, and he turned his head to see a group of figures charging towards them. Help had come; at last.

"You see, Ana?" he asked gently, "You see they're here – it's all…"

He looked down to see she was no longer looking at him. She was no longer looking at anything at all. Her beautiful dark eyes were unseeing; focused on some distant point that he couldn't see. His heart clenched so painfully he thought it had burst as Remus crashed to his knees beside him.

"Ana! Sirius is…oh no…oh please no…"

Sirius pulled her lifeless form closer to him as he followed her eye line. She had been looking at the stars, looking with him. He lifted his eyes and then, blaring through the darkness, he saw the last thing she had seen. He let out a shaky breath, tears falling freely and unashamedly now, as he felt Remus put a hand on his shoulder; a hollow gesture of comfort.

She had been looking at him all along; or his namesake at least. Her gaze was fixed on the brightest star in the night sky. Her gaze was fixed on Sirius.

* * *

><p><strong>Before you murder me the next part of the story will be told here; .nets/7414829/1/And_all_the_Devils_are_Here**

**Thanks so much for all your support - you guys are awesome! Hope you love part two of the story :)**


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